bilateral gastroc release

Foot care
1

Hi folks

had plantar fascitis for near on a year now

tried resting , stretching, ultrasound etc

specialist now refered me for surgery

the procedure is a bilateral medial head of gastroc release

any pf sufferers had this operation ? 

What is the recovery time after the operation

any help much appreciated

pete

2

Hi Pete. I had it... 3 month nightmare. Non weight bearing for 4-6 weeks. My calf muscle is still skinny 3 years later, it will never look normal again. Turned out I had pinched nerve in both heels, do didnt help me. So I don;t know if it will help you. Also, ask the doctor about the healing time... how could you get by without both legs? Or is there a newer procedure that will allow you to be weight bearing? Good questions for the specialist. Seems like if stretching doesnt work, the gastroc won't. See what others say.. good luck and bounce stuff off me if you like. I have been dealing with this 5 years.. and a doctor found a pinched nerve in my heel...3 weeks post op and I am waiting for the healed results... praying...Marty  in USA

3

Hi marty

thanks for the information

sorry to hear of your trouble after your operations

i ve had plantar fascitis for close on a year so hopefully this operation will do the trick

the specialist said i suffer from tight calves so procedure will help to release the pressure on the calves and hopefully rectify the pf

He didnt say anything about recovery time so was in the dark as to how long i would be off my feet after the op

hopefully you ll have a positive outcome and you ll be healed altogether

all the best anyway

pete

4

Hi pedro i have had PF from turn of the year now and pains are really bad the burning cant walk its pure and utter agony reading on the site people have had this condition for many many years...i myself am waiting to see guy at hospital to see if i need cortisone injections if i do and they dont work i could be faced with the op also nothing has worked for me the ice,resting,stretches every day is a bloody battle with this its had me in tears a few times i have small lumps on my heels as well tryin to put a shoe on is bad enough thats before tryin to put your weight on feet god knows whats in store for me with this awful condition...

5

That condition is probably nerve entrapment in the heel. I just had the surgery and the doctor found a rougue nerve branch growing under my heel from the medial plantar nerve.. He removed it... keep in touch I will let you know if it works.. only 3 weeks, so still cant tell yet.  But it "burned" and got worse the more I would stand and walk.  Martin

6

Thanks, good luck to you too... oh.. ask them about doing the plantar fascia release at the same time.. or just doin that first.. so much more conservative and goes right to the problem.

7

Hi, I have suffered with severe plantar faciitis in both feet for 2 & a half years now. I have been seen by a foot specialist, had special insoles made, I've had physio, 10 steroid injections, ( some under ultra sound ) , then referredto a podiatrist who wasn't much help. Eventually after cracking up and refusing any more injections I was referred to a surgeon. I had this operation 5 weeks ago. I was origionally told by the surgeon that the relief would be immediate, yet my feet are just as bad. Not only that, my left leg has now got a very tight calf muscle which is veryainful and I struggle to walk probably. I have seen the surgeon 4 times since the op and all they will do is offer me physio again. I was not informed that this could happen. I have to wait another 6 weeks to discuss the next treatment option. Fed up is an understatement. 

Apologies for the long reply & good luck

8

You would not believe all these things can happen on your heels and soles of feet meant to say in last post marty on my right foot my arch has dropped or planter and when i put foot on ground i can feel the lump first..yes keep in touch marty i just like hearing from other sufferers and hope i get a cure..

9

Oh my...I feel your pain.  I think so many of you in Uk have never heard of nerve entrapment in the heel. I have been suffering for 5 years... I am 3 weeks post op... i hope this nerve release works..

10

Omg lianne i feel for you in what you have been through so in some cases theres no cure for alot of folk why do i have these same feelings..

11

Fingers crossed for you. I just feel like I get passed from pillar to post. My job keeps me on my feet & with having 2 kids to look after I really really struggle. I am in pain from the minute I get up untill I go to bed. I just see this ending :-(

12

I completely agree with you. I have told the surgeon that unless you have suffered from it then you seriously  don't realise how painful it is. Doesn't help that I also have burciitis and pinched nerves in both my feet too...

13

Hi Lianne, bob733, martin0422, pedro et al,

i have had PF for about a year and despite trying all of what has been mentioned it sort of went on its own, but now i have achilles tendonopathy which i think is the same as tight calf muscles. i think private physios with a special interest in PF are much better than the local GP. acupuncture helped  and then i tried extracorpeal shock wave treatment, i was lucky as my private physio had just bought a machine so i only had to pay £90 on top of usual fees.  PF/tight calves/achilles tendonopathy is an amazin problem because you can see from all these forums its incredibly difficult/individual to fix and it clearly isn't easy to fix becuase the drug companies would have been on it had it been.  the NHS is OK for care but for diagnostics its worth paying a for a private consultation, so get the diagnosis then get care on nhs. i work for the nhs! i have started having deep massage by sports physio and that has been the best progress so far for me. and the amazin thing is my PF was much worse on my right but now i have tight achilles tendons on both legs.HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN???  grrrrrr.

and now my nhs orthotics make my feet so hot its better not wearing them!!

14

Hi Marty USA - can you tell my how your initial problem presented itself? PF or tight calves?

thanks Roxy2013 in UK

15

Trust me..we all do feels your pain. I have often wondered if my issue was nerves since I have burning and stabbing and all kinds of different pains shooting thru my heel...but how do you know the difference? I do feel like I'm walking on a rock right on the center of my heel but the sides around the heel are often so sensitive...I can't let them touch anything. And that's how you get totally immobile!!  Not good but it's my only relief. I just wonder if mine is more nerve related.

16

That's how my feet feel. It's like a rock is under the skin and every step you take is painful. My arche hurts and I also suffer with the sides of my feet. The podiorist said that was pinched nerves. I am so surprised with how many people suffer with this condition.

drastic I know but when I last saw the surgeon I told him in frustration to just remove my feet as I have had enought of being in pain.

17

Ladies... I dont know if you have seen my post about nerves. My doc here in the USA  found a branch of the medial plantar nerve that grew under my heel that he has never seen before. He removed it. He is a very experienced surgeon. Also he did a baxters nerve release and plantar fasciotomy. It is 3.5 weeks post op. so I need a little more time to give results.. but it feels promising.IF PLANTAR FASCIITIS DOESNT GO AWAY AFTER 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR....IT PROBABLY HAS NERVE INVOLVMENT. AND POSSIBLE FASCIITIS FEEDING OFF EACH OTHER. Research "dr patrick deheer" "baxters nerve". Pray for me!!! I went to Indiana for the surgery.. deheer is awesome. This is a 14 hour drive for me....

18

i am the exact same lianne  utter pain day in day out i have F6 compression sleeves sock came yesterday felt fine when i put them on yesterday but pain is back and as bad as ever...even if u  touch the arch of my feet i hit the roof every day is a battle with this condition makes you wonder is u would be better of feetless just drags u down and depress's you and you feel as if your biting the face of people cos your in that much pain its hard to understand not having it and going through PF..

19

I saw 1Martin's post but he was rude to me and I choose not to talk to him about his nerve issues.  We can read and see things...whether we respond to him or not. Anyway, I have an appt July 23rd with a Podiatrist so we'll see what he says but I don't think I will try injections...haven't seen much good afterward.

20

Hi Roxy.. it started when I was doing a lot of walking for exercise. Pain in the front part of the heel. Relentless pain. I can't stand at all without pain. Walking only short distances. Wake with tightness. Pain worsens as the day goes on. After suffering through work, I mostly sit around and rest all evening.. I am so hopefull this surgery fixed me.. This is my last hope. The surgeon is the best I could find and he did everything possible, a baxters nerve release.. a little fasciotomy (had one before that didnt help) and found an extra nerve branch totally out of place going under my heel...and he removed it. He said he thinks that was my problem... I will know in a few weeks probably.. im still in a walking boot.