Hi all!

This is my first time visiting this forum, but I thought I would give it a shot. I have had bunions for years, but havent ever thought to do much about them. I have just learned to live with them....

They are a pain. Finding cute shoes is almost impossible, never mind finding comfortable ones. Is this a surgery that insurance generally covers, or is it considered cosmetic? I am not sure if I could do this surgery at this time of my life right now, by the way recovery sounds. I have three children, 5, 2 and 7 months....

But, I am still interested in some advice!!!

Thanks!

Hi there,

Insurance does cover bunion surgery, as it is not considered cosmetic.

You'll need tons of support, particularly the first month. I did a double bunionectomy with a one year old, but my husband was here the whole time. I could not have done it without him here, because I had no way of chasing my one year old if necessary (unless I crawled really really fast, lol).

I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but it is a long recovery and I would expect not to be back totally to normal for several months, although you will be feeling much, much better after 6 weeks.

I think preparing yourself mentally for it and really having realistic expectations regarding the recovery is a major component to all this. Some doctors gloss over the recovery period like it's no big deal, so just make sure you are really prepared.

Good luck with your decision!

Welcome,
I also had bunion surgery, back in November of last year.Please make sure you are ready and you do need help. I'm a divorced parent of 3 children who are 9,14 and 16.(Not much help)My boyfriend stayed at my house for the first week to help me out.I was up walking around no crutches only blue shoe after the first couple of days :nono: .I should of whinned more because everyone thinks you are doing better after the first couple of days or so. No pitty(LOL)
Now I'm due to have my second foot done and let me tell you, I am planning better for this one. Just make sure you follow the Doctor's orders and have plenty of help.
Good luck on whatever you decide to do.

Sue

Yes

DITTO on everything mentioned above

Good luck !!!!!!

I asked my doctor a while ago about getting surgery on my bunions, he seemed to think they were fine...Easy for him to say, they arent his feet!!! :-) LOL Does anyone know what makes you eligible for surgery? Just lots of whining about them?

If quality of life is suffering,
If you are bothered constantly with pain,
If conservative measures have failed..........
perhaps tis time for the knife

I don't think I've known anyone who hasn't fared well after bunion surgery.
You may trade in 1-2 pains for different pain; but all in all better from my experience @ least

good luck !

Speaking as the mother of 3, and my kids were 4, 6, and 8, when I had my first bunionectomy, unless you have a live-in helper, wait till the little one is at least 3. For me, the surgery was very painful, and I am going on my third one. This is not a surgery that can be guarnteed to last your whole life. I am very active, ride horses, and motorcylces, whenever I get the chance. Horses, almost daily. This surgery puts you out of commission for a long time. I just had some hardware removal from my surgery 3 years ago, and it's an ouchie, but nothing like the surgery...good luck to you....

Sounds like I will be waiting to have this surgery done. I don't have live in help, and I dont think I will anytime soon, though it would be nice!

I had to read your message aloud to my husband, because I am CRAZY about horses (would love to own some for myself, but we don't live in an area where they make that kind of lifestyle very affordable :-( and my husband is an avid motorcycle man....Between himself and his friend, they own 7 bikes. A little excessive? I think so, but it gives him something to do, I guess! :-)

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate getting it from someone else's point of view!!!! :)

Speaking as the mother of 3, and my kids were 4, 6, and 8, when I had my first bunionectomy, unless you have a live-in helper, wait till the little one is at least 3. For me, the surgery was very painful, and I am going on my third one. This is not a surgery that can be guarnteed to last your whole life. I am very active, ride horses, and motorcylces, whenever I get the chance. Horses, almost daily. This surgery puts you out of commission for a long time. I just had some hardware removal from my surgery 3 years ago, and it's an ouchie, but nothing like the surgery...good luck to you....
Hi,
When did you have your hardware removed? What hardware was it?Why did you have it removed?How was the outcome of that procedure? Sorry for the questions, I just want to see if your surgery was at all like mine.
Thank you, Sue

If you decide not to have the surgery, which is understandable given your responsibility for three young children, just be sure to take good care of your feet to prevent worsening of the bunions. This is usually an ever-worsening condition and unless you take steps to prevent it, you might find yourself with severe bunions and a really difficult recovery period when you do opt for the surgery. Generally the longer you let it go the more extreme the surgery needs to be to correct them and the more difficult the recovery.

In the meantime, you'll need to wear shoes that fit, with toe boxes wide and roomy enough for your feet and your bunions. If you have flat feet (and many of us with bunions do), you may need professionally-made inserts to prevent any worsening of the bunions. You might want to consult someone to get advice on how long you've got before surgery becomes unavoidable so you can plan accordingly. Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do.

twobadfeet

TWOBADFEET:

I have definitely noticed that my bunions have worsened over time. And yes, my feet are flat. I probably dont practice the best care for my feet. I am young and I like to wear my big shoes (i am only 5 feet 2 inches tall) Do heels and chunky shoes make these problems worse? To be honest, my doctor brushed off the "bunion case" as if it were nothing. He never even recommended that I see a pediatrist...

Eligibility for surgery of this type is generally defined by "pain". If you have no pain, but just wish to change the way your foot looks, the insurance company may not wish to pay for them. If you have pain in the bunion, they generally do pay.

Which doctor did you ask about it? Your PCP, OB/GYN or a Foot specialist? If you have pain or are concerned, see a qualified foot surgeon. Believe it or not, most general docs have no idea what causes or constitutes a bunion.

If you do experience pain with most shoes, definitely consider surgery (if your foot specialist agrees that bunions are the cause :)
If you only have pain with 3 inch heels that have a european cut toe...then don't wear those shoes.
If you have pain when NOT wearing shoes...consider the surgery also.

Support is needed in the first month, as other posters have stated above.

Good luck.
:jester:

Make an appointment with a Podiatrist...if you need a referral, simply ask for one.

Don't wait for your PCP to tell you to see a specialist.

If you are not getting acceptable answers to your questions from ANY medical professional, seek another opinion.

:jester:

Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents (I'm a new poster, by the way - I lurked here before my bunion surgery to get information).

I was diagnosed with a bunion on my left foot around the first of the year. The bunion itself wasn't painful, but certain shoes were really uncomfortable to wear. My podiatrist said that I needed bunion surgery. I was reluctant since I hadn't really been experiencing any pain and I at least wanted to wait until after my vacation in the beginning of April. Anyway, I had the surgery 13 days ago (I believe the procedure was technically called a "head osteotomy).

I am a single mom of twin 8-year-olds. I didn't have anyone other than them to help me out and we managed just fine. I experienced very little pain following the surgery and minimal swelling. (I usually tolerate pain VERY well, though, so that may have had something to do with it.) I followed the doctor's instructions and kept the foot elevated and iced off & on for the first 2 days. I had the surgery on a Friday and by Tuesday, I was back at work (I'm a secretary which is technically a desk job, but I do an awful lot of running around). I am still wearing the blue shoe - my doctor said by this next Tuesday (2 1/2 weeks post-surgery), I should be able to wear a casual (i.e., tennis) shoe.

I know everyone's experience is different - just thought I'd share mine. Good luck!

peaswink,

To answer your question, yes, heels make this condition much worse. Generally, the higher the heel, the more pressure you put on the joint and the more pronounced the deformation of your toes will become and the worse the pain will get. About chunky shoes: (if you're talking about clogs and similar style shoes), I've never read or heard that they're especially bad for bunions unless the toe box is not wide enough to accommodate your feet. In fact, after my bunion surgery my orthopedic surgeon said the only style that I should wear was a clog with an open back, which I am still wearing--but now with the removable insert that they came with put back in. About professionally fitted inserts, you can get them through a podiatrist or an orthopedic surgeon and they make two types. One is for shoes with little or no heel, like flats or lace-ups, and one for dress shoes with a small heel. So you needn't feel like you're doomed to wear corrective shoes for the rest of your life to prevent your bunion's worsening.

That said, if you value your feet, seriously consider moving away from heels that put pressure on your toe joint. If you do choose to continue wearing them, as I did, despite the pain and ever-worsening condition of your bunions, I can, unfortunately, guarantee you will eventually be forced to choose between surgery with a long recovery or a lifetime of pain. You're young enough (and hopefully your feet are in good enough shape now) that you can make smarter choices than many of us did about our feet and save yourself a world of trouble.

Stepping down from my soapbox now,
twobadfeet

I need advice on whether or not to get bunion surgery! I saw a doctor about 1 year ago, who recommended that I get it. He said that since I am young (27) and I still have a long time to walk on these feet, I should probably get it to prevent future problems. However, I do not have pain in them and don't really want to get it unless it's necessary. I simply wear comfortable shoes and avoid tight, high shoes which make my feet hurt. But I don't know if I'm avoiding the procedure now only to hurt myself in the future. But then again, maybe it won't ever get bad enough to make surgery necessary in the future. Any thoughts you have would be helpful and appreciated!

smilescali, when I was 27 my feet didn't hurt at all. At 46 they hurt bad and I all but destroyed the joint on my left foot. I would do it soon if I can.

The worse you foot gets the more they have to do to correct the problem and the longer you will need to recover from the surgery. If you do it early the surgery you need will probably be less dramatic than if you wait too long to have it done.