Hello,

I am scheduled to have a bunionectomy on my right foot and hammer toe correction on the 4 remaining toes. My doctor told me that I will be out of work for 3 weeks (if I stay off of my feet). My doctor stated that I should have sugery on the other foort in about 2 months. Yes, I have bad feet as a result of having flat feet!

I am now considering having the hammer toes corrected on both feet and the bunionectomy on the left foot (left foot is worst) IN ONE SHOT. It will be easier for my in terms taking time off from work. I am going to call my doctor tomorrow to share my thoughts.

For anyone who has had similar surgery, please share your thoughts on the recovery process.

Thanks

Well, I think the reason you can go back to work in 3 weeks is because you'll still have one good foot to walk on. If you do both feet, you'll probably be NWB for a longer period of time. I could be wrong about this but that's the impression I get.

do both feet at one time if your doctor permits it. read the old posts under my name. it will be 2 years from my surgery for me in august. i did both feet including 6 hammer toes with pins, 2 bunions and 2 pinkie toe surgeries all at one time. just get it done with at one time if you can!!! i am sooo glad i did.

How long were you out of work?

I had a double bunionectomy and two hammertoes corrected in one surgery and I was very glad I did it all at once. A huge key to recovery is elevating and icing the affected foot and it was as easy to do that with two as one. I think that it might mean a bit more time off initially than if you did just one, but less total time off than you'd need for two surgeries. My doctor said I could go back to work in as little as two weeks if I absolutely had to, but only if I didn't have a big commute (IE, no driving myself or walking up to the el platform in Chicago, then walking several blocks to the office) and only if it was at a desk job where I could elevate my feet at least part of the day. I started walking (no casts, boots, or crutches; just very slowly and carefully) at two weeks and could make it around the block by four weeks. I was glad that I didn't have to work even then as I tired easily, but I could have if it was necessary. Ideally, it would be good to start back part time-- either short days or only 2 or 3 a week. If you do decide to do both at once, make sure you have a good support system. One thing that helped me be more idependent was having a college dorm type fridge with a freezer section right next to my bed. I was able to get fresh ice packs and drinks by myself, saving my family a lot of wear and tear-- especially in the middle of the night. Another thing I highly recommend is sitting in an inner tube periodically to take the pressure off your tail bone. It can get sore when you have your feet up for hours. (Before I got the tube, my butt was hurting more than my feet!) At this time of the year, it's easy to get them as cheap as a dollar almost anywhere. Good luck!