I'm scheduled to have lapidus bunionectomy Sept. 30th. I'm curious to find out if any of you are in more pain after you had bunionectomy done than before? How does one know if it's really worth going thru the surgery and the inconvenience of recovery, if the pain is not going to be much different than before the surgery? What was the point at which you dicided that you must have this done? Thanks

Hi Sianka,
I am now 9 weeks post-op so time will tell about the total success of the surgery. I have every reason to believe that is/will be a success.
My decision to have the surgery done was based upon the pain and discomfort from the bunion over the past 1 1/2 years. It was only till then that I really had the kind of pain that wakes you up at night..shoes on or off did not make a difference..it was painful. So, I decided to get the surgery done..and glad that I made that decision. I will be very happy when the swelling and achiness goes away..and am able to really walk again in comfort. I am a walker so...just really miss that A LOT.
Take care and the best to you...

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~~Maya~~

Hi, sianka,
My biggest pain before surgery was not really in the bunion itself, but actually in the 2nd toe, a really bad hammertoe that was bent, rigid and basically shaped like a shrimp! The pain would come & go, day & night, and felt like a sharp toothache. The toe was no longer touching the floor the way a normal toe should, so when I got out of the shower, that weird toe didn't even leave a print on the bath mat. This happened because the big toe was pointing inward, going under the 2nd toe and pushing it out of alignment. The big toe was pointing inward because the 1st metatarsal bone was pointing ******d at an extreme angle. And this was happening because the joint between the 1st & 2nd metatarsals was abnormally loose. My foot always felt unsteady, and standing for longer than 15 minutes or so was becoming almost impossible. So a Lapidus procedure was done to correct the root of the whole problem. The surgeon cut and straightened the metatarsal, and put 2 permanent titanium screws at the base of the area that joins the 1st & 2nd metatarsals to keep them steady. He tightened the tendons around the big toe so they would hold it straight (no screws were necessary there.) Finally, he cut the abnormally tight tendon in the 2nd toe and put in a removable pin to hold the toe in a normal position while it healed (it was removed after 3 weeks). Sorry to be so long-winded, but surgery isn't always about "more pain, less pain" it's also about how the foot functions. At the risk of putting the jinx on myself, I would say that I am very pleased with the result. After 3-1/2 months, my foot feels solid and steady. My big toe & 2nd toes are straight, pain-free, and they touch the floor. My scars are fading nicely, thanks to Mederma, and they look like thin scratches. I am looking forward to having my left foot done sometime next year. Hope this helps!
Chris

Hi again,
The word with the stars is supposed to be "******d". I don't know why this message board decided the word was a problem. Maybe it has problems with English, who knows?
Chris

Hey, message board! Is this a joke or WHAT? I just wanted to say that the bone was pointing in the opposite direction. What showed up sounds like gibberish, or a 4-letter word, which was not my intent. Thanks a lot!

Thank you Maya & Chris for the responce. I guess I'm just scared and thinking it over and over if I am making the right decision. I am scheduled for surgery next week and the closer it gets I keep questioning myself. My feet don't hurt all the time, but I've noticed that it's slowly getting worse. At the same time if it does not get any better after the surgery, then I went thru all the pain from the surgery and recovery for nothing. I'm just curious if anyone else feels the same way and if that had actually happened to them. From what I'm reading on the boards it seems like majority of the people are recovering nicely, but there are some with stiff toes or numbness or something like that. Is it worth substituting one problem with another in cases like these, that's what my thoughts are http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

I also have a question about the necessity of the surgery. My foot hurts while I'm wearing shoes, but not necessarily when I'm barefoot, or it doesn't wake me up at night. I still have full range of motion without pain. Just a painful bump. My Dr. said that it is my decision on how soon I want the surgery. How did you all make that decision?

I like to share my experience of my bunion problems and the decision process to get them fixed. I have been flat feet all my life and the bunions had been bordering me for years without knowing that something can be done to help. My feet would hurt if I wore shoes with heels 1 inch or higher (even with double width shoes). I wore tennis shoes 2 sizes larger to accomodate the wide feet with the bunions sticking out. I walked 4 miles daily but my outside heels wore down almost immediately. I would wear flat pumps to work and took them off whenever I was behind the desk. I guess if I go bare feet for the rest of my life it would be ok because they did not hurt per se. But they seemed to be sticking out more and crossed on top to my second toe. They also caused corns on the 2nd toe and the feet bottom which sometimes got painful. I figured it was time to do something about them. I have HMO insurance and it took two months from the first visit with my gatekeeper doctor, one referral to a podiatrist and 2nd opinion with an orthopedic surgeon to surgery. Both recommended surgery to correct the deformity. I decided to do the bilateral bunionectomy as my insurance is running out soon. The surgery went well and I was on pain medication for only 4 days. For the first few days, my husband had to carry me to the bathroom. After that I figured out how to walk with my bottom, hands and heels around the house. I am almost 5 weeks post operation. My doctor told me I can walk at four weeks post op, but they seem tight and hurt if I put full weight on them to walk. So I am still walking on my bottom and wait a few more weeks before trying to put more weight on them. I think it is worth the short term inconvenience for the long term benefit: walk normally, wear normal size shoes etc.