Suffering from bunion and hammer toe
Posted , 7 users are following.
I've had this bunion and hammer toe for some time now, maybe a couple of years, and yes, it has worsened. I was recently referred to a podiatric surgeon and he told ,me he could not do the surgery because of arthritis in my large toe. He gave a toe separator and told me I could find others on the Internet. I'll be 72 in a couple of months, so no one should be surprised I have arthritis there. After seeing him, I dismissed the thought of surgery at that time thinking maybe that was best, but recently had unexpected excruciating pain in the foot, and it wasn't from excess walking or hiking, both of which I do enjoy. The pain came quickly one evening and after elevating my foot with a pillow in my bed, applying an ice pack and a taking a Vicodin pill, it finally subsided. I returned to my primary physician a few days later only to be told the surgeon had written in his notes from my appointment with him that "the patient decided not to have surgery", which was far from the truth. My primary, of course, was quite surprised and wanted to find out why he would do that. She suggested I make a second appointment with the surgeon and tell him "I decided to have surgery", even though I never said anything to the contrary. I plan to call him after this weekend.
Does anyone agree with this tactic, or does anyone think I need to face him and tell him directly that if he does not want to perform the surgery, he needs to refer me to someone else who will?
0 likes, 18 replies
janice99188 kat080516
Posted
Personally, I'd go straight to another surgeon ...
kat080516 janice99188
Posted
Swampiesue kat080516
Posted
Swampiesue
Posted
kat080516 Swampiesue
Posted
Swampiesue kat080516
Posted
kat080516 Swampiesue
Posted
Obviously, I don't live in the UK, but I know there are a lot of wise people who do!
janice99188 kat080516
Posted
Yes, getting a new referral for a 2nd opinion shouldn't be a problem. I'd do it if I were you.
misskh kat080516
Posted
Hi Kat
I'm in the UK and it does seem that things go differently as I had
my op done on the NHS.....so not sure about Private....
we tend to go to our GP for a referral to have a consultation
with an Orthopaedic Surgeon. In my case my surgery was
revised surgery after an attempt to remove bunions back in 2014
wasn't done correctly. So it was back to my GP who writes to theSurgeons....This time I chose a Surgeon...we don't contact
anyone.
My new surgeon told me I had arthritis....I suspected this but
didn't know for sure.....and said that during the op while he was
fusing my big toe and straightening the next two he would
scrape away the Arthritis from the bone, so to say you can't havean op because of it seems a little odd.
I read alot about Podiatric Surgeons on these forums and
wonder if that is just another name for Orthopedic Surgeons in
different countries as we have Podiatrists in the UK but, to my
knowledge, they are not allowed to operate as they are not
qualified in the same way.
As the surgeon wrote to your GP is there a reason your GP can't write a reply to the surgeon on your behalf and ask why he got
the impression that you don't want surgery?
janice99188 misskh
Posted
That makes a lot of sense, misskh! I am in the US but we often get referrals as well depending on your insurance. I would certainly think that asking for a second opinion is an acceptable thing to do! In the US, most Podiatrists are also qualified as Podiatrict surgeons. There are also some Orthopedic Surgeons who are Foot & Ankle surgeons which is who I had do my surgery. I am pretty sure that most foot surgery in the US is done my Podiatrists though.
mary42138 kat080516
Posted
I had the same problem not knowing I had Arthritis in my big toe, and now I have a whole set of other problems, I have Rigid hallux which means you have no range of motion in your toes, I did another surgery and my feet are always in pain, they don't bend right and I can't walk correctly it's takes me much longer to get anywhere, do anything, I favor my left leg, and now have Arthritis in my left hip because of it, so I regret surgery even though I had your annoying problems of the bunion and hammertoe, I wish I could go back and not do the surgery, good luck with what you decide, try toe separators or cortisone shots, my guess is the podiatrist knows the complications of surgery while you have Arthritis and that's why he is against surgery, Good luck with whatever you decide, I am 52 and I am frustrated every day of my life, I wouldn't want anyone to go through what I am going through,
janice99188 kat080516
Posted
I also had severe arthritis in my toe and the surgeon told me that the procedure he was doing would get rid of the arthritis. Which it did. No more pain in that area. So I'd still say -- go to another surgeon for another opinion.
mary42138 janice99188
Posted
janice99188 mary42138
Posted
I had a lapidus bunionectomy with mid-foot fusion, and also had a metatarsal shortening of the 2nd & 3rd metatarals. I asked him ahead of time about the arthritis and he said that the surgery he would be doing would remove those arthritic areas and would also fuse the arthritic joint at the mid-foot. That's all I know.
mary42138 janice99188
Posted
That's great, I also had a lapidus and he fused the hammer toe, hammer toe is straight but I can't bend it, but after the surgery I am not able to move my big toe from the joint and now it's rigid hallux, and it's amazing how you really need the big toe to bend while walking, it's a struggle, I am really glad yours turned out good, I didn't have a 2nd and third metatarsal shortening though, but good to know,
kat080516 janice99188
Posted
It would be nice to get rid of that arthritis
janice99188 mary42138
Posted
Oh no! I wonder why that happened? I had the same lapidus procedure on both feet 3 months apart (that was pretty crazy but it's over with now) and I don't have a problem moving my big toes. I did go to physical therapy afterward for about 10 weeks -- recovering from both feet at once was intense (no sooner was I bearing full weight on the first foot than I had the other foot done -- my stupid choice -- that was 6 & 9 months ago). And strangely enough, it seems as though the shortening of the metatarsals was a more difficult recovery than the lapidus/fusion!!!! Those toes were really sore and still pretty stiff & a little sore to this day.