Hello, I need advice. I'm 5 months post-op L bunionectomy with 2nd hammer toe repair. I still can't walk without considerable pain at the metatarsal/phalangeal joint. There's a screw in the metatarsal to correct the angle, the bunion was shaved and the tendon between grt toe and second toe was cut, 2nd toe was fused.
There is little difference in the angle of the grt toe (22 degrees) before and after surgery. For some reason, my surgeon didn't feel the need to correct the grt toe angle...just the metatarsal.
He finally agreed to PT and they're surprised by the angle of the toe.
I am truly at wits end! The foot hurts more than it did prior to surgery. My job requires a great deal of walking and I haven't been able to return to work.
Has anyone had the great toe re-aligned without having it fused? What options do I have?
Thanks for any advice.

hi, i just had abig toe fusion after 2 failed bunionectomies. thats 3 surgeries in just over 2 years. my hammertoe was taken care of at the 1st surgery, but it never worked. it sticks straight up. my big toe was never on an angle, but it sure is now. i am 9 weeks post-op and got my cast off last week and i am in a walker boot. i had such horrible pain after the 1st surgery, but it got better. then after a while the pain was so bad again i had to have another surgery with an implant. that didnt work so now i had the fusion and will never be able to move the big toe again. you must speak with your doctor and get a 2nd opinion. there should not be pain after so many months. the angle of the toe ia msure can be fixed, but you may require another surgery. dont let it go like i did-life is too short. please let me know what happens. debbie

Thanks Debbie. I see my surgeon next week. Depending on what he says I'll consider a second opinion. It's like picking a pig in a poke with these doctors. You never know how things will turn out. The thought of another surgery makes me cringe! After seeing how the fused toe is behaving I dred having the grt toe fused. Can you tell me about the implant you had? Did it replace the joint? Why did it fail? Thanks/

Gee myjo I'm sorry to hear you are having such pain 5 months after surgery. I had a Lapidus buionectomy with second toe shortened 11 weeks ago and I feel great. No pain at all. I also had the 1st metatarsul fused but at the joint closest to my ankle. I have one permanent pin and one external which was removed at 6 weeks post op. I asked the podiatrist if the fusion "took" and he told me it did.

Which end of your metatarsul was fused? My dr also removed a lot of arthritis when he did my surgery. I was very frustrated at first with the slow healing but now I can say it was well worth it. My incision looks great, the horrible bunion is gone and I'm looking foward to sandals in the summer.

I would also think a second opinion is in order. You shouldn't be having pain this far past your surgery.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Mary

Thanks RFM...the second joint (phalangeal) of the 2nd toe (Hammer) was fused. It's the base of the grt toe (1st poximal joint) that's the problem. All the ortho did to that joint was remove the protruding bunion. He also broke and screwed the 1st metatarsal to a new angle...but it seems that did not correct the angle much since the grt toe still registers at 22 degrees lateral.
From my research, that angle alone would require corrective surgery. The PT agrees that the toe was not corrected sufficiently. Perhaps the surgeon felt the medial tendon would pull it back to a neutral position and didn't want to over correct it. At any rate, I'm extremely frustrated, to say the least!
I'm just afraid to undergo surgery again that's why I'm asking if anyone had the grt toe fused? I'm concerned that would really impair my ability to walk.
The earliest I can see the dr is next tuesday. Thanks for your good wishes.

My dr was originally going to do a different type bunionectomy with 4 external pins through the inside of my foot with a stabalizing bar but when he went to do that the bones started to shift so he had to go to Plan B. He said in the long run it will be a better outcome. I was not happy being on crutches 7 1/2 weeks but now that I am mobile again I am so glad he did the more extensive surgery. Hopefully I will never have a problem.

I didn't know who to go to since I had never seen a podiatrist so I asked my GP who he would recommend as the best foot surgeon in my area and that's who I went to. So far I have been pleased. I asked also if I should go to a pod or an otho and my GP advised on the pod.

I know it's really hard to find someone who is good and knows what they are doing. Any kind of surgery is a scary thing. Good luck and let us know how you make out at the dr.

Mary

hi again, when the big toe is fused you will still be able to walk and do activities. you just wont be able to wear more than 1 and ahalf inch heel. thats what my dr told me and i am 11 weeks post-op. my implant was in my big toe because the toe would not move. i know it was not a rubber implant. how was your recovery and did you follow the drs insructions. i may have done things too soon. i really hope this works for me, but 5 months is too long to have all that pain. your big toe should be up from the ground. please let me know what the dr says again. debbie g

Thanks for your input ladies. At first the dr had me in a soft velcro open shoe. When the bandages came off I was using a cam boot to relieve wt bearing on the grt toe along with crutches. I excercised the toe as instructed and really had no problems at all. At 9 wks he told me I could start wearing a sneaker but the foot wouldn't fit. I even went so far as buying a men's sneakers... to no avail. Eventually, I was able to wear sneakers but only for a few hours. I try to push myself walking but the pain becomes too much and I start limping. It's messing up the rest of my body!
At 4 mos when I complained to him about the swelling and joint pain he stated "it's where it's supposed to be." I started PT about 3 wks ago and, while I'm getting some ankle and leg strength back the grt toe remains painful.
The PT's have the foot wrapped at the joint and use gauze between the grt & 2nd toe in an attempt to achieve a neutral postion.
This is beyond absurd! I shouldn't have to use a spacer btwn toes and a tight wrap around my foot to align the great toe after surgery!!!
Forgive me for venting...I'm greatful I found this site as I needed feedback from others with similar surgeries.
Thanks again.

Hi. Well, I saw my ortho surgeon yesterday. He took another xray and found nothing wrong. He told me it might take 7 -9 months before the pain subsides. He noticed the range of motion is not where it should be after 5 mos. We discussed cortisone injections but neither one of us is ready for that. He feels the joint has been misaligned for so long that its taking a long time for it to readjust to its new position.
I don't know, its so discouraging. I feel that this is highly unusual as all other posts I've read seem to have speedy recovery after the 7-8 wks it takes for the bone to heal.
Has anyone out there had a similar experience?

Hi Myjo - I don't know how long your toe has been misaligned but I can tell you I'm 57 and had my bunion as long as I can remember. Granted it got worse over time and even after surgery it is not perfectly straight but then my dr said to overcorrect is worse. I'm 12 weeks out and I do use a foam spacer between my great toe and the next one because I think there is still some swelling. I also had the second toe shortened because it became too long after the bunion was corrected. Using the spacer makes it feel better because without it the second toe rubs on the great toe.

I hope you get better soon. Just keep up the PT and exercises, hopefully that will help.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Mary:wave:

It's 11 weeks post op for me, too. I still have pain when I walk. I still can't get my foot into a regular sneaker (wearing extra wide shoe with velcro straps and a size larger than I normally wear). People see me walking and think I'm doing great, but they don't know that every time my big toe bends, I have pain. I'm starting to learn to live with the pain. It's not excruciating but it does hurt. I was supposed to see the doctor today, but they cancelled my appointment because the doctor wasn't going to be in the office. I am rescheduled for the 18th. I'm anxious to hear what he has to say. After going to PT for the last 6 weeks, I see some improvement but not as much as I would have liked. I keep trying to put on the sneaker, but the foot hurts too much and I don't want to aggravate the situation. I still get swelling of the foot. I do my exercises at home and after I'm done, my foot hurts. The same thing happens after PT. I've been taking Advil when the foot swells. I can't stay off the foot at work. Talk about getting disgusted! However, every day, I hope for a little more improvement. At this point, I don't know what else I can do. I've already decided that I will continue with PT until the end of this month and that's it. I'll have to do whatever I can, at home. My insurance will only pay for so many PT visits. I hope you will get better each day. I just wanted you to know that you are not alone - there are many people who have not recovered so quickly. Keep us posted on your progress. I'll post after the next doctor visit. :wave:

Thanks for the encouraging words. My dr rx'd relafen...I haven't noticed any difference in pain or swelling. I do my excercises and walk as much as I can tolerate (which is barely a fifth of a mile). I also use a spacer between the grt and 2nd toe to keep them from rubbing. The limping is throwing my body alignment out of wack and I'm getting pains in my knee and hip. I'm 53 and feel as if I'm falling apart!
My frustration is compounded because I haven't been able to resume my job duties and I'm going stir crazy! I went from being constantly on the go to a virtual stop.
Well, I guess my choices are: grin and bear it, or seek a second opinion. Thanks for your kind wishes. I'm so glad I found this board, it helps to know I 'm not alone and can share my thoughts with others who have been through similar experiences.

i am also limping and wearing a shoe that is a size bigger. its almost 13 weeks for me. i dont feel out of allignment, but the pain severe. how much pain are you in? i am not on any inflamatorys. i think you should go for another opinion and bring all you records. i know it is a hassle, but in the end it will be worth it. debbie

Hi Debbie...on the proverbial pain scale... just relaxing its a 2-3. Sort of like a dull toothache. After walking for ten minutes it escalates to 7-8. I am researching another dr for a re evaluation.
I never anticipated that I'd be worse off after the surgery.
Best wishes!