So I had Calcaneal Osteotomy surgery on May 21st. Did any of you have pins put in? If so, when you got them taken out did it hurt? Because when the time comes to take them out, I will be terrified!
I had mine taken out at week 11 but my surgeon does it differently than many. Mine were left sticking out of the bottom of my heel since surgery. They stuck out about and inch and a half and were checked and re-banaged each cast change. This is why I was in casts (4) and non weight bearing for the entire 11 weeks. I went into an aircast afterwards.
Mine used a regular hand drill and reversed them out. No meds, no freezing, I just sat there and watched him. Creepy but I couldn't not look. Freaked me out when he told me this is what he would be doing but the pain wasn't as bad as I was expecting.Once they cleared the bone and was began to wiggle with the drill, he simply took the drill off and unscrewed it by hand.
I have them as a souvenir. They are huge and really long!!
That sounds a little painful with the hand drill. Mine are like yours, as you described them. I'm going to get mine taken out in a couple of weeks, so I'm nervous. Hopefully it tickles or something and doesn't hurt, but I don't know what to expect when it happens.
I'm sorry to hear that you have to worry about getting those pins taken out. That doesn't sound like fun at all! I would definitely take a couple pain pills before your appointment to at least help you relax.
I have permanent screws in my calcanal osteotomy. I am just over 3 months post op and PWB working toward FWB. The pain in my heel has been bad the more weight I am putting on it. I swear that most of my pain is from the screws digging into the inside of my foot. At least you won't have to deal with that, and it will put you farther along in healing.
Good luck!!
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Surgery March 6, 2012: Calcanal Osteotomy, PTT repair, FDL tendon transfer on left foot.
Hi all,
Can I ask you guys what your symptoms were prior to surgery? I am looking at having a dwyer osteotomy, tendon repair, soft tissue release and my big toe fixed in 3 weeks. Very nervous about this. My screws will remain in. I am hoping for a full recovery as I am very active. This forum has been sooo helpful and informative. It's so nice to hear from others who have been through this.
Thanks.
Last edited by luv2Boutside; 06-17-2012 at 04:01 PM.
Reason: spelling
I have had two calcaneal osteotomies over the past two years (one on each foot) and had two pins(not screws) sticking out of my foot that had to be removed as a result. My pins were taken out when I had my cast removed, which was about 12-weeks after surgery.
I totally understand your feeling though, I was terrified before having mine taken out! In the end though it really wasn't bad. It mostly just felt like pressure when my doctor pulled them out, there wasn't too much pain. If you are worried, you can alway take a pain killer before you go in for your appointment to have them removed. I promise though, after getting through the first two weeks or so of the surgery recovery, having your pins removed with be nothing!
Prior to surgery, I would get a sharp pain along the ptt extending into the arch after taking 5 or6 steps. My ankle was starting to cave toward the ground
I had posterior tendon transfer and calcaneal osteomy done May 18. I have 1 screw in my heel. I have smaller screws in my other ankle from a previous injury and I had 2 removed. They put you to sleep and I know I had to rest that day and maybe for a few days. I didnt have any pain. The one in my heel is bigger but Im sure it will be the same protocol. Im sure what we are experiencing now is way worse than that will be.
I had posterior tendon transfer and calcaneal osteomy done May 18. I have 1 screw in my heel. I have smaller screws in my other ankle from a previous injury and I had 2 removed. They put you to sleep and I know I had to rest that day and maybe for a few days. I didnt have any pain. The one in my heel is bigger but Im sure it will be the same protocol. Im sure what we are experiencing now is way worse than that will be.
Hi, this sounds like the same surgery I am having on Aug 24th. How long did your surgeon tell you it will take to go back to work? How are you feeling right now?
My surgeon hadnt said an exact date. He did tell me that I will probably be able to start driving at 12 weeks post op. It might be because it is my right foot. Definitely non weight bearing for 10 weeks. I am off work during the summer and thats why i scheduled it for when I did. I go back to OS on June 29 and I will get this cast off and be put in a boot with no weight still. Im sure I will find out more then as to a timeline of healing and getting back to normal activities. I will keep you posted.
Oh and I feel really good. Incisions and skin under cast are quite itchy but other than that really good. I have a knee scooter which is truly a Godsend. I was very lucky as I did not have the pain That some people experience. Elevating is key to pain management. I hardly took any of my pain meds. I hope that that is the case for you as well.
Oh and I feel really good. Incisions and skin under cast are quite itchy but other than that really good. I have a knee scooter which is truly a Godsend. I was very lucky as I did not have the pain That some people experience. Elevating is key to pain management. I hardly took any of my pain meds. I hope that that is the case for you as well.
I was wondering if I should get the knee scooter but you convinced me. What about staying on the couch as opposed to staying upstairs in my bedroom. Did you go out at all, like have someone drive you places. I was thinking I might spend some rehab time at my daughters home as well. How did you manage on stairs or did you just avoid them? Did you have a shower chair also?
Shower chair is a must. As far stairs in my home. I am horrible on crutches without help on stairs. I actually have everything set up downstairs. We turned our dining room into my living space. I have a day bed set up there. Our main tv and sectional is on our living room so its easy for me to get to kitchen, watch tv, prop my foot, let my dogs out etc. all by zooming around on my knee scooter i have a basket so I use that alot gor meals, drinks etc I have help from my spouse from about 2:30 - 7:30 pm due to the work hours so I needed to be able to function. We made all accomodations like removing rugs, setting up the bed before the surgery and tweaked as we went along. You will be amazed how you adapt to make things work for you. For instance, there isnt enough room to get scooter and the dogs out back door. So i park scooter and open door and the use my crutch to open the screen door so the dogs can go out. Its just an extension of my arm since the area is si tight. Also I highly recommend a basket near where you will spend most time with everything you might need. Lotion, pain meds, nail clippers, tissues, pen and paper, etc. I keep the book I am reading and a crossword puzzle book and pencil in there as well. So helpful! I did that when my daughter had knee surgery and she loved it. I do go out. Not a ton. We have a camper that is permanently on a lot and I go there and have even figured out how to prop my leg up while we go on a golf cart ride. The knee scooter serves as a great place to prop your leg to when you are out. Hope you found this helpful.
The Following User Says Thank You to Rd2Recovery For This Useful Post: luv2Boutside (06-21-2012)
Also with stairs to take a shower, I crawl up on my knees and scoot down on my bottom. The trick is figuring out in your home how you will then get up from floor. The bathroom is close to my stairs so I crawl into bathroom and use counter, tub, etc to get to my feet. Do practice runs before your surgery. Relieving your mind of the unknowns really helps get rid of the anxiety of post op living.
I too will be getting a knee scooter! Sounds like the right way to go. And I hope my pain is managed as well as yours. Thanks for all the helpful tips too.
Sounds like some great advice! Just don't forget a bunch of pillows to be able to prop your foot above your heart, toes above nose.
I had my surgery on March 6th, and I did allot of prep work before surgery. It really did make things allot easier. There is a permanent list of tips for pre surgery on the main foot problems board that I found helpful. Definitely get a knee scooter if you can, it was a big lifesaver for me! You can rent them from a healthcare store or drug store. I bought mine on a popular online site (we aren't allowed to mention name), and I plan to clean it up and sell it. I just got cleared to use one crutch yesterday and am excited to try my new freedom.
Good luck to you!
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Surgery March 6, 2012: Calcanal Osteotomy, PTT repair, FDL tendon transfer on left foot.
The following user gives a hug of support to planemark: Rd2Recovery (06-21-2012)
