Experiences of bunion operation please

skintchick

I'm 37 and have bunions on both feet caused by over-pronation thanks to dodgy misaligned hips and flat feet. Thank goodness I have good legs!! :rotfl:

I have had a consultation and am waiting for a date to have surgery on both feet, can;t remeber the proper name but osteop something?

Anyway, I've done some googling and am a bit horrified at the recovery period, so wondered about others' experiences.

I have a three year old who starts pre-school around the time I will have my op, my Oh is able to do some work from home and both sets of parents are retired and available to come and help.

Also if anyone has had Ian Nugent from Reading do their bunions I'd love to hear as he is doing mine.

THanks for any help you can give me.

Tiggy_Wiggy

I had mine done, on one foot only, and having had a few other operations including knee op, this was by far the worst pain I have ever experienced.

Mine was done as a day case under local anesthetic. I got home about 5pm, went to bed quite early and woke up around midnight in the most incredible pain, and remember thinking that if my whole foot had been cut off the pain couldn't have been much worse.

I was on crutches for 3 weeks, and off work as I couldn't drive, for 4 weeks. It was atleast 9 months until it had healed enough that I wasn't in constant pain and a year until I could get my motorbike boots back on.

Two years on and I still get the odd twinge but nowhere near the pain of the actual bunion or the post-op pain.

Of course people are different, and you might not be as bad.

One thing though, when I was doing my research, I remember reading that they do one foot first, wait for you to recover then do the other foot. Obviously there might be special cases where they do both at the same time. I think you need to expect to be off your feet for 6 weeks, at the very earliest.

Good luck, and don't let me put you off. Despite the complete total discomfort, I'm glad I had mine done. But don't think I could go through it again!

Oh I was 37 at the time too.

lostinrates

My father had one two years ago. It has been a tremendous success, and although it was painful in the earliest stages the lack of pain fro. The foot now more than makes up for it. Do observe the recovery time though!

skintchick

Thanks Tiggy. I am definitely having both done at once. He said if people just have one done they don't usually go back!

When I had my ears pinned back the pain was excruciating so I'm guessing it will be similarly bad.

But you couldn't wear your old shoes for nine months? Why was that? Was it swelling or pain?

It's really good to hear all this thank you for sharing.

Tiggy_Wiggy

No probs. It was a bit of both really. Quite a bit of discomfort whilst the screws settle down.

Good luck and make sure your hubby does his share of looking after you.

skintchick

Thanks for the replies so far. Has anyone else had the surgery?

honey06

hi Skintchick,

how are you getting on with this?
did you know its possible to have this done as keyhole surgery on the NHS now? not many surgeons do it this way, but there are a couple that i have found out about.
I'm going to get a referral to one of these, as the pain and recovery of open surgery have put me off getting mine sorted before now!

skintchick

I have read it, I don't think my surgeon offers that, he didn't discuss any options. To be honest I don;t mind open surgery and I just want it done as I am also undergoing investigations for my recurrent miscarriages and am awaiting some surgery to do with that as well, so I just want the bunions done quickly without any fuss as I have so much on my mind right now.

I think the pain of the recovery might actually be a welcome relief from the pain of my emotions anyway. It will give me something to focus on.

Apparently I will be done some time in November, they will send an exact date about 6 weeks before that, so I'm just waiting for the letter now.

cake_baker

I had mine done about five years ago but only on one foot. I was 34 at the time - I figured if I had it done while I'm young, I'd recover faster with fewer complications, and I was right.
I had a spinal anaesthetic, which I'd recommend over a general if you are offered the choice- the woman in the next bed had a general anaesthetic, and she was groggy for hours afterwards, while I just had to wait for the numbness to wear off. Although I've read that they can do it with just sedation too.
The pain was absolutely excruciating for about 24 hours, but then it settled to a dull ache. I was off work, on crutches and in plaster for 2 weeks, I went back to work (travel on the bus)still on crutches, but by the time the plaster came off on week 3, I was shuffling around unaided. My foot was swollen for several weeks even after the plaster came off, so they recommend wearing soft but supportive shoes - old trainers are ideal. After about 6 weeks, I was pretty much back to normal.
I wouldn't hesitate to get the other foot done if it needed it.

I can see the advantage of having both feet done at the same time; its only one hospital visit, but the disadvantage is that even with walking casts, you'll find it very difficult to walk even the shortest distance (and trying to shower/bath with 2 casts will be interesting), so you must have a really good support network in place.

moneylover

So will you be wearing insoles afterwards except when you want to put smart shoes on, as if the bunions are due to overpronation then that needs correction? I presume the surgeon did discuss the underlying problems ?
The main thing to check is that your surgeon specialises in feet, not just an ortho who does other surgery just as much. Feet are very difficult, believe me, I have had foot problems since my 30s and am now in sixties and driven mad by shoewear difficulty. I am NOT saying that will happen to you because, apart frm anything else, surgery is 30 years on.
There are many different techniques for bunions and so unless you know what you are having then other peoples experience not overly useful.
If you want to read a good website and seee what some of the experts say then look at this website
http://www.londonfootandanklecentre.co.uk/


You can if fact have any surgeon you likein country that does NHS however I think that its more difficult to change once on someones waiting list
Good luck and let us know how you get on, but both feet v difficult to cope with. Probably cheaper for NHS.

moneylover

am going to a holiday in Africa in October and want to wear summer dresses a bit. However normally exist in trousers so legs whitish though not that lillywhite that some people have. Just want them to be about like arms are just from wandering around in short sleeves, not sunbathing, a sort of light gold and would like a bit of glow
A few years ago I tried one or two of the moisturing lotions that is supposed to build up into a little bit of colour. All I remember is that it was a bit of streaky type colour on the front of my legs - am in my sixties so suppose it 'took' where my skin is thinner now over shins.
Read this review
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/may/14/sali-hughes-wash-off-tan-test

the tester liked faux glow best (have only read report not watched video to see how easy this stuff is) and also the Nars Illuminator which the Sunday Times beauty columnist Sarah Vine likes too. Vogue apparently tested wash off tans but I havent seen that report except they liked faux glow

Has anyone tried any of these? I dont mind spending out for the Faux Glow one but dont want too much tan and am dithering about the Nars one. But I dont think would spend out on it without more recommendation or being able to try it somewhere - I dont know if you go to a Nars stockist they have a tester.

All suggestions gratefully received! I am very lucky, I can easily go bare faced but my legs need a small bit of help. But nothig would look worse at my age than them looking as though I had put foundation on them!