another question. my doctor advised that I would not need to get the screws taken out unless I wanted to but it was no necessary. Do you think it is? Have any of you not had them taken out? What were the results?

Hi Cinderella - I had one screw in my foot with my calcaneal osteotomy, and it's in there to stay. He said it could be taken out if it bothered me, but I don't think it bothers me. (I can't say for sure, because I have some pain, but I don't think the pain is from the screw - it's from my foot adjusting to the new bone grafted in....) Good luck!

hi again cinderella,

screws - my own dr used removable pins in my feet. reason - he was afraid that i would have "bumps" in my feet from permanent screws.

my sister's neighbors had double bunionectomy last summer - with permanent screws. she's fine with them. no appearance of bumps. some doctors like to use the permanent screws b/c it allows the patient to get back on his/her feet sooner.

good luck.

Hi, cinderella,
I had bunionectomy and hammertoe correction on my right foot 6/3, which involved cutting bone and placing 2 permanent titanium screws. The severity of your condition will determine which procedure the Dr. will do, and it will also determine what type of pins or screws you'll get. The permanent screws make the foot stronger and give the bones a chance to knit properly. I had a severe deformity with high angles, and now I have a pretty normal-looking foot, with 3 small scars from the incisions. The Dr. highly recommended using Mederma for the scars, and predicts that they will eventually blend with the surrounding skin, but you have to give it 6 months or so. Compared with the way my feet looked bedore the surgery, not to mention my constantly aching 2nd toe (where the hammertoe was) it's a really small price to pay. Everything is relative, I guess. Good luck!
Chris