Hi guys - I am having a bunionectomy on my right foot in the very near future and want some advice on what to realistically - that is from a patients point of view not the doc's - expect post op. Things like how long will I be dependant on having someone to help out around the house as I dont have family nearby and will have to arrange this. How long till I can drive a car short distances (school and back)? Has anyone had the surgery under local anaes only (my doc recommends this however made no mention of an IV). And how long until I can get back to the gym??? Any feedback appreciated! Cheers!!!

Hi,

I had a bunion surgery on my left foot 3 weeks ago. I was able to drive a couple of days after my surgery, but that's because my right foot is fine (and I kept my left foot elevated on the dashboard). Just last week my doctor told me that I can start applying weight on my left foot, so I probably wouldn't have driven if it had been my right. You may be able to get away with it if you somehow use your heel on the pedals (I'm sure other people will be more helpful on this). You may also find it painful to put your foot down for several minutes, but just recently I haven't had too much trouble keeping my foot down. However, it's very important that you keep your foot elevated as much as possible to keep the swelling down and, hence, the pain. (I can't complain about the pain too much because, honestly, I haven't had too much of it.)

My doctor told me that he was going to use local anesthesia, but I was sedated through an IV. This may be optional because the nurse at the hospital told me that some people prefer to be awake during the operation, but I opted to be sedated.

I don't see myself doing any exercise in at least 4 - 5 more weeks. It's been 3 weeks and I am barely applying some of my weight on my left foot, anything more than that is painful. So what do I do all day? Read, play computer games, read, check out this board, read, talk to friends online, read...

Good luck!

Carlos

Thanks Carlos - . My surgery is on March 19 (my birthday - woohoo!) and I am quite antsy about the post op recovery period so it is reassuring when I hear something positive.

1. local anesthetic block with "conscious sedation" is pretty standard (most people don't want to be awake during the procedure) so they knock you out with IV medication (a "cocktail" of valium-like drug and other things, like fentanyl)
I was out like a light, my doctor told me I was snoring in the OR

2. since there is no weight bearing for 2 weeks, I don't think you will be able to drive for that time w/ your R foot getting done, that will be hard as you need someone to drive you for errands, going to your followup appts
it would be hard to work during this time as it is very awkward and uncomfortable to be on crutches and foot swelling
for 2 weeks after consider yourself pretty much out of action, then 2 more weeks of just getting a little more activity (it is very easy to overdo it at this stage as you get sick of just laying around, but the swelling will convince you to take it easy)

3. I am 2 months postop and still not even close to my usual activity, including just walking. Right now all I can do is yogilates (and no standing poses). My doctor said in another month I could start running - that would be great but we'll see, it makes me nervous to stress my foot when my toe doesn't even bend normally (my normal foot can bend back and forth about 90 degrees, the surgerized foot about 20 degrees and I can feel it).
I'm thinking of doing the rowing machine as that would be mostly stress on the heels and your feet are not dangling down

Hi,
I, too, am two months post-op from right foot bunionectomy. To answer your questions from my experience...

I would agree that you will definitely need/want help around the house for at least two weeks. This may somewhat depend on whether you'll be on crutches or not. Did you ask your doctor about crutches & for how long? I was on crutches for two weeks (non weight bearing) and another week (partial weight bearing) & I found that I could do basically nothing but get myself to the bathroom & back. My family served me every meal, cup of coffee, glass of water, etc.--it was very hard to be so dependent!! Once I was able to walk, I needed a little less help, but I stilll couldn't be up for more than 5 minutes without my foot throbbing! This just gradually gets better allowing for more extended periods of being up and active (light duty-type active).

As for exercise, I didn't do anything for about 5 weeks. Then I started riding my stationary bike & doing some other strength exercises. I, too, cannot walk for any distance yet, so I do what I can do to keep in shape. I'm really looking forward to the day when I can go for my three mile brisk walk again!

Ask your doctor about driving restrictions. I couldn't for six weeks! That was hard, but I have a husband and two teenagers that drive, so it was doable for me with lots of planning!

Welcome to this board. You'll find lots of great information & wonderful support here. Good luck with your surgery!
Gimpy1

Hi Ally073,

One thing you'll find if you read the posts on this board is that there is tremendous variation in the instructions we all get from our doctors--largely because there are over a hundred (!) types of bunionectomy being done out there. They range from simple reduction in the size of the toe joint (which usually doesn't work long term, BTW) to having bone cut, reduced in size and screwed or pinned back together. Obviously, the recovery times for these types of surgery vary greatly, and to give you good answers to your questions we need to know what type of bunionectomy you're scheduled to have. But to give you a general idea, I had the latter type (bone cut and screwed) and the following were my doctor's recommendations:

Have sutures removed--8-10 days
Bear weight on foot (with rigid post-op shoe & no walking)--7-10 days
Bear 50% weight (with crutches)--10-12 days
Bear equal weight on that foot--10-14 days
Do LIGHT cleaning--14 days
Do LIGHT cooking--14 days
Walk short distances WITHOUT crutches--10-14 days
Climb stairs without crutches--14 days
Drive a car (using that foot for braking & acceleration)--3-4 weeks
Remove all dressing & bandages--5-6 weeks
Stop wearing post-op shoe--5-6 weeks
Wear regular shoes--2 months
Exercise (including treatmill walking)--3-6 months
Wear heels (which I swear to never do again!)--6 months

As usual, your mileage may vary, so be sure to bring this list or some variation of it to your doctor and get times tailored to his/her recommendations for YOUR foot. You may have to push for specific answers, but do--it will help you as you recover to see the light at the end of the tunnel. About anesthesia: check the posts here for previous threads discussing recommended anesthesia. I had a nerve block and IV sedation, which worked great for me. If you have any other questions, just ask, and good luck with your surgery.

Hope this helps.

twobadfeet

Hi guys - I am having a bunionectomy on my right foot in the very near future and want some advice on what to realistically - that is from a patients point of view not the doc's - expect post op. Things like how long will I be dependant on having someone to help out around the house as I dont have family nearby and will have to arrange this.

I THINK IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE SOMEONE THERE ALMOST 24-HRS/DAY FOR AT LEAST A WEEK..MAYBE THE NEXT WEEK SOMEONE TO COME CHECK ON YOU, BRING YOU MEALS, ETC..

How long till I can drive a car short distances (school and back)?
I HAD MY RIGHT FOOT DONE ON 1/6/04...I STARTED DRIVING VERY SHORT DISTANCES (4 BLOCKS) AFTER ABOUT 3.5 WEEKS. IT WASN'T AS HARD AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. I WORE THE BLUE SHOE AND ACCELERATED WITH THE RIGHT FOOT AND USED MY LEFT FOOT FOR THE BRAKE. YOU HAVE TO DO IT THAT WAY, THE DR. TOLD ME NOT TO USE MY RIGHT FOOT FOR THE BRAKE. AT ABOUT 6 WKS, I STARTED DRIVING "NORMALLY"..

Has anyone had the surgery under local anaes only (my doc recommends this however made no mention of an IV).
YUCK! WHY DO IT THAT WAY? I LOVED WHAT I HAD...KNOCKED OUT BUT NO NAUSEA AND I WOKE UP FEELING REFRESHED AND IT WAS OVER. HE HAD NUMBED MY FOOT UP WITH A SHOT WHILE I WAS ASLEEP SO IT DIDN'T COME TO LIFE FOR ANOTHER 6 HOURS. :eek:

And how long until I can get back to the gym???

WELL, I'M 7.5 WEEKS POST-OP AND NOT BACK AT THE GYM YET. HE SAID WHEN HE SEES ME AGAIN AT 9 WEEKS, HE'LL RELEASE ME FOR "SPORTS" (MY HUSBAND LAUGHED AT THAT).
Any feedback appreciated! Cheers!!!

I'VE KEPT A DIARY (AT THE REQUEST OF A FRIEND) SO IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY STAGE OF RECOVERY, LET ME KNOW.

I AM AT 7 WEEKS POST-OP AND AM FEELING PRETTY GOOD, CAN GET AROUND PRETTY WELL, NOT LONG DISTANCES YET. I'M STILL HAVING A HARD TIME PUTTING WEIGHT ON THE BALL OF MY FOOT BECAUSE IT HURTS. THIS TAKES TIME. I FOUND THE RECOVERY TO BE ABOUT 5 MONTHS ON MY LEFT FOOT.

GOOD LUCK. YOU'LL SURVIVE!
PMCW (PAULA)
7.5 WEEKS POST OP RIGHT FOOT
LEFT FOOT 5/03
Have now purchased FIVE pairs of sandals for the summer! :bouncing:

Thanks Everyone!! - I am so pleased that I stumbled across this board because I will most likely be needing some sort of support from 'those in the know'. I have learned a lot reading other posts and am feeling quite prepared now.

Excellent post from ''Twobadfeet'' #6.

Excellent post from ''Twobadfeet'' #6.
Thanks, EMG. It's nice to be appreciated. :)