I am going tomorrow for my 4 week check up and I have already been told I won't have any splinting or dressings at this point. What has been everyone's experience. I sure don't want to look back and wish I had splinted the toe's longer.

when I went for my 4 weeks follow up appt (that was 2 1/2 weeks ago), I had a doctor who was new and said, things look good, you can wear a regular shoe instead of the surgical shoe, now let's get you the Darco splint, but the office did not have any and said that the other doctors in the group didn't use any splint at all.
My doc was surprised and said the darco splint was really good to use.
So podiatrists are all over the map about splint use (what a surprise)

I ordered both Bort and Darco splint online (I have so many supplies all related to my foot it's crazy, the multiple splints, bandages, toe spacers, creams, sports tape, ace compression bandages, oils) and am still wearing them once I get out of my work shoes (almost 7 weeks now postop) but I am just super paranoid about the bunion reforming and it gives my still tender foot some support. I guess I will gradually wean off the splint after a while (maybe just at night for example) as things stabilize and my foot feels better
If your foot looks and feels fine then maybe you won't need it, but I definitely think the splints, bandageing, and toe spacers helped my foot maintain its alignment.

I wasn't given a splint or even told about it until I went back at 8 weeks. I mentioned that my toe appeared to be bending back over (toward the other toes), whereas it pointed straight forward just after the surgery. So the doc gave me this little soft white velcro thing (Pedifix, I think) & said to wear it at night until I see him again in 1 month. I wish I'd complained sooner, because right after I take the splint off, my toe bends back over. That is very scary because it makes my foot look pretty much like it did before the surgery. However, the doc said any kind of shoe will make your toe lean some; if it pointed totally straight ahead, you'd never be able to get it into a shoe. (Like I can get it into a shoe now...)

I don't wear any kind of splint. My doctor said that as soon as I take it off (if I were to wear one) my toe would lean in all over again, so it's pointless. My doc also told me that it is natural for the toe to lean over, otherwise, it would be hard to get into shoes. I have before pics of my surgery, and even though my big toe is still leaning in and not straight, the bunion is definitely gone. It's a big difference. The leaning of the toe has nothing to do with the bunion coming back, acc. to my doc.

it's not the toe leaning over that I'm worried about - it's the actual bunion bump at the side that sometimes at the end of the day looks like it is reforming (or if I've walked barefoot like I do, yes now I know it's bad but I am really sick of wearing the shoes I have to wear), but if I wear a compression bandage and splint for a while then it goes away again. This makes me very concerned about lack of long term stability of my surgery. I went to Macy's today to pick up something for my friend's party tomorrow and I saw all the cute new spring sandals and it was very maddening not to be able to even try them on or be able to wear for at least the next few months if not ever!

I haven't used any kind of "splint" but I did use a toe spacer between big and second toe from about 3 weeks to about 6 weeks. I asked my Dr. the same thing the other day about "is my bunion coming back on my other foot?" There is a small bump there and he said it's just the joint so now I've started looking at everyone's feet to see what normal feet look like!
Paula

I know what you mean, Paula. I've been studying my husband's feet because it's been so long since my feet were normal I've forgotten what normal feet are supposed to look like. I have an almost invisible little bump where my bunion used to be, probably because the swelling is coming down and the natural shape of my foot is returning. I also asked my doctor whether the bunion was coming back. He assured me it wasn't and, he is confident, would not. He told me in the beginning of this process that only a small percentage of bunions return, and then only when the surgery is "botched"--his word.

Like HappyMama, my doctor hasn't given me a splint either. I seem to be the only one here who did this, but for several weeks after the surgery, he had me tape my big toe to the one next to it, with a thin square of folded gauze between the toes. That way, the big toe was stabilized and immobilized by the other one. But after that, no splint of any kind. He said my big toe would naturally bend a little toward the other toes (and he said he wanted it to), but that it wouldn't turn much, and it hasn't. Like many of you, I'm watching closely because I'm afraid of losing any ground and having to repeat this process. Thankfully, at 3 months I think it's moved all it's going to.

twobadfeet

I'm so glad lots of you have "leaning" toes too. My brothers & sister have pointing ahead toes, so I thought my leaning one meant the bunion surgery was faulty. On the latest x-ray, the ex-bunion joint is straight onto the metatarsal, but the upper toe joint is curved over. I'm going to start looking at other people's toes too.