bunion surgery recovery - Foot Problems Message Board

sofia west · 08-17-2002, 07:32 AM

Hello. I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to have found this site. Anyway,lots of ques. Had bunion surgery, with hammer toe correction(on my left foot)exactly five weeks ago - how long will it be before I can walk normally on my foot? Surgery was fine, walking is ok as long as I put all the weight on the outside of my foot, while wearing my lovely surgical boot - (hope I'm not doing any permanant damage to the healing process). I am an avid runner - how long will it be before I can even start thinking about running again? My doc says 16 weeks, others have said only 12 weeks after inital surgery. Anyone with any experiences to share? Thank you!

myloathe · 08-17-2002, 08:35 PM

Take your time! If you can only walk on the outside of your foot, you're surely not ready to run. I had the same surgery done on my right foot exactly a month ago. I was walking, very painfully, but using the boot. Well, today by doctor put a cast on me, from the foot up to my knee. Apparently, a part of the bone where he pinned loosened up and is now a fracture. When I told him I didn't think I felt ready to walk with the boot, he insisted I was just apprehensive. Now, for the next 4 weeks, I will be stuck with a cast, and then for 3 weeks after that, the boot. This is after already a month of wearing the boot. Take this advice. If it hurts, don't walk (or run) on it! Supposedly, according to my doctor though, you should be able to fast walk after about 2 months.

32skater · 08-27-2002, 07:57 PM

I, too, have had bunion surgery quite a number of
years ago. Do not want to sound depressing, but
they can come back and mine did. My Doctor really
fought doing more surgery, because I have had enough
done already, but five weeks ago, he operated on not
one but both feet. I insisted he do both at the same
time. He was able to put a wire in the big toe, very
tiny wire, and pulls it over into the healing
position and hopefully we will eliminate having
bunion surgery again. I have another week to go
in my "cute" shoes, but my advice would be to not
rush into any activity for a while. Give it plenty
of healing time. That is very important, as hard as
it might be. So far I am very pleased, as they
are looking great, but after surgery is a very
"restless" time, to say the least. You just don't
want to destroy what has already been done. Take your
time.