I hope this will help anybody having or thinking of having a bunion operation.
I had my operation on my right foot 4 weeks ago. I had read so many horrific articles about how painful it is etc. etc. I can only speak for myself, I felt some pain for a couple of days which painkillers took care of. After that it was a little uncomfortable for 10 days. After two weeks I went back and had the dressing changed, and apart from the inconvenience of resting my foot for 6 weeks, I would not hesitate in having the left one operated. I still have two weeks to go before I return to the fracture clinic and have the plaster dressing removed. Hopefully then I will be able to start walking again. I was given elbow crutches a black boot to wear when moving about the house, these has been a godsend.
I hope this has helped anybody who is worried about having a bunion operation.
Hi
I was just wondering how old you where when you had surgery and how bad they had got. I'm 30, live a healthy lifestyle but have bunions on both feet. However my left foot is constantly sore and keeps getting infected. My doctor keeps telling me to avoid the operation while I can, but its really affecting my lifestyle. I love running and being active and i worry that if I don't have the operation they'll just get worse, but if I do will I be able still have the active life i like to lead?
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
I am 60, but had bunions when I was 30 years old, I was also told by my doctor not to put myself through the operation as it was very painful and you are off your feet for a period of time. I wish I had insisted then to have the op. I had my right one done last summer 2011 and January 4th this year had the left one done. I am now three weeks away from having the cast taken off. I do not think the ops are that painful only perhaps for the first couple of days, but would say more discomfort than pain.
I do know of people who have asked for both to be done at the same time, which I know wish I had done, as you get it all over and done with in half of the time, although it would be very difficult to get around.
All I can say to you is if I knew when I was 30 what it is to be pain free I would have insisted on the op being done. It is wonderful to be able to walk without pain.
Please come back and tell me what you decide in the end and the best of luck.
Sheila
I'm 27 and just had Bunion surgery almost 2 weeks ago on my right foot. I've always had bunions just because of the way my foot is structured apparently.
I'm a very active person usually, lots of running etc. I used to get a bit of pain after running until I found better running shoes (surprisingly they were the new Nike Free trainers) and I haven't had any problems with my bunions at all; no pain. However MY doctor said I should get them done now to avoid the pain that they would certainly progress to. SO here I am sitting on the sofa on a sunny saturday...
I would think if you are in pain it would definitely be worth doing. Whats 6 to 8 weeks recovery compared to years of pain!
It really hasn't been that bad except for not being able to exercise properly which SUCKS. A bit of pain in the first 2 to 3 days and now I just try and keep it comfortable. Having to wear the ridiculous shoe for so long it the worst part....
Hi Sheila, and sorry I did not know your name. Thank you both so much for replying, its good to talk to somebody who has actually had it done. Well I went back to my doctor with my infected foot, and I aired my concerns about wanting to have the operation. The big thing for me is that I feel I have a year or so gap because we are hoping to get married and start a family pretty soon and I feel that it would be impossible to have this operation having young children to look after, so I either have it soon or wait for quite a few years. Anyway she said that she isn't prepared to put me forward just yet but if I still feel adamant about having the operation I can come back in 6 months and she will consider it, but gave me antibiotics to deal with the infection that was in my bunion. I am going to think carefully and I probably will go back and ask for it, as you have both made me feel like its not going to affect my lifestyle, and like you said what's a few weeks pain compared to years.
Thanks again, will let you know how I get on in 6 months
Jackie
Good morning, I would say to anybody who has pain get the operation done whatever age. The pain is miserable and once the op is completed you will get back to normal life. I have had both my done over the last 8 months.
Yesterday, I had my plaster cast off, the wound is sorer this time than last, but no two ops are the same. I am sure in a week or two it will be fine. The joint is not at all painful, so it is just skin healing time. I am on elbow crutches now for two weeks and then one crutch for one week. I go back to my consultant in three months. They have now changed having the plaster off to seeing my consultant to three months not a month as it was last time. The sister said my consultant felt the foot was not healed enough in a month. As long as it is done I really do not care. If this second op heals like the first I shall be a very happy bunny.
I hope whatever you decide it will work out for you. I can only say and this is just my opinion, if the bunions hurt have the operation, if they do not then live with them.
Hopefully i shall be back in my walking boots in a few weeks and i shall be off 
.
Good luck.
Hello,wonderjojo
Could you please advise the name of the surgeon who treated you?Would anyone recommend a good doctor in London?
Thank you
I had my op in Cornwall so that would not be any help to you ninav, my consultant was very good, that is why I chose to have my other foot operated on by him.
My Podiatrist did mine but it will be of no use to you unfortunately as I live in the Cayman Islands! He's an english podiatrist called Dr. Ray Anthony.
Thank you to all.There seem to be little references on Internet as for the reviews on a good bunion surgeon.I oly found the articles about Dr D Redfern in London
I wish you luck with the surgeon you have chosen.
If you do have it done, remember once the plaster comes off that is not the end of it. I had my plaster off last Tuesday, I have a very swollen sore toe which I know is going to take some weeks to settle down.
Hello
I hope you are not in too much pain. Was it a key-whole surgey you had? Apparently the newest procedure called " scarf oseptomy is used in London and supposedly it is the least invasive ,,,but there is so little information available from the actual patients that had actally done the procedure
No I did not have keyhole, but my consultant cut along the side of my feet, so once healed the do not show, I wear fiflops all summer and you could not see on the scar on my right foot, and it will be the same with the left once it is healed.
Ninav - my cousin (who is 69) had her bunions done last summer and said it was the best thing she ever did. I have bunions and am flat footed and am 47 and have been thinking about it for years but have been put off by the long recuperation period as I work full time and drive a lot. I went to my doctor last week and asked if I could have a consultation with the same doctor. I am in Croydon and she is in Wandsworth but my doctor said he would write and ask for me.
I will let you know how I get on.
By the way -does anyone else have bunions and are also flat footed? not a good combo!
Emis Moderator comment: I have had to remove the details of your doctor as we do not publish personal details such as full addresses and phone numbers in the forums.
LindraR, thanks a lot
What kind of surgery did your cousin have with this doctor?Did she do both feet at once and how long did it take for her to recover?
I am the same-46-flat feet-can not really take time off work and need to be able to drive in the shortest possible time.I have had noticable bunions for at least 15 years and braved them up but now with the new kind of ops I thought it was the time to sort it
I'm not to sure about what sort of surgery she had. She had one done first then the other 3 months later. She wasn't in pain, mild discomfort for a few days and walking the same day. Will post more when I have hopefully had a consultation.
I am 47 and have suffered since I was a teenager with bunions I inherited from my mother. My mother had
her bunion op in the 70's and her feet were literally butchered by the surgeon, needless to say her experience put me off having the op myself. Then I read an article in a national newspaper of a french surgeon called Dr Joel Vernois, of Care UK’s Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre. My doctor referred me and he performed the operation under a general anaesthetic on both of my feet, 3 weeks ago. I had the dressings removed after 2 weeks and I was so pleased with my feet. There was very little swelling, five small dots, as I had minimal invasive surgery and they were so straight and even looked quite a bit smaller, without bones/joints jutting out here and there. They were painful for a couple of days, but thats all. The main problem I have at the moment is the boredom of not being able to go out, or go to the gym etc! A very small sacrifice to make for 6 weeks and then have good looking, pain free feet. Can any-one tell me how long after the 6 week recovery period, they were able to go for a jog or a work-out?
Hello DMK
I started with cycling around 6 weeks - maybe a few days earlier- and some low impact stuff. I also made myself do some upper body weights and core stuff, every other day up until then. I started swimming about 6 weeks too. I think it was more like 8-12 weeks before I started some light jogging and then running progressively. AND yoga - hot yoga was great for my foot! I was doing that at 5-6 weeks I think.
I'm just over 4 months now and I don't have the movement I used to but the foot is getting better. No pain just some swelling after a run. I was EXTREMELY happy when I started doing some proper exercise again. I didn't realize how much not being able to do anything affected me until then!
Thank you 'Wonderjob', for your most welcome reply. Would you mind me asking your age? As I am aware that it does have a significant impact on the healing process of the bones knitting together etc. I have recently started taking calcium + Vit D, as I've read this can help. I intend to follow your lead with some swimming, cycling and upper body weights. 3 weeks in now and I have very little swelling and am totally pain free! I hope I continue with this speedy recovery, as I have had both feet done and it is a real hindrance not being able to drive and move about freely. I would definitely recommend this op to any-one just thinking about it, as I did for years.
I read so many horror stories about bunion surgery I almost didn't go through with it. My issues stemmed from a broken foot that healed incorrectly 4 months prior to foot surgery. I used a wonderful foot and ankle specialist in Memphis, TN. I had sugery on my left foot October 31, 2012. Surgery was quite successful and I returned home with my crutches, a cast, pain killers and strict orders to stay off my feet. I experienced mild pain the first 2 days but nothing the pain killers couldn't fix. Day 4 I actually fell and ended up bending the pin in my second toe. The hardware stayed in for 30 days and I had to return to surgery since the pin was bent and couldn't be removed any other way. I slept in a recliner for the first month for fear of my husband or dogs hitting my foot at night. After the first week I had little to no pain. Life was a challenge. You cant do anything by your self! I def recommend a wheel chair!