UKC

Hi,

I'm contemplating having surgery for a bunion, and I was just wondering if anyone had any experiences to share? E.g. how long until you were climbing again, levels of pain and joint stiffness once fully recovered, etc. I'm just worried about the risk of not being able to get back to a fully active lifestyle (or even making things worse).

Thanks!
(and apologies if this is the wrong forum)

In reply to Amber:

Amber,
Might be worth a peek at the thread RickUKC started recently re climbing post-toe fusion. Last message 26 June.

Hope that helps,
Gary

In reply to Gary Coggon:

It's a different operation.

I talked through bunion surgery and decided to wait. I'm Generally OK climbing and walking all day even day after day but running and winter climbing day after day causes problems so I no longer do that.

In reply to Amber:

Hi Amber, sorry for the thread hijack but I was going to ask the same thing - I'm booked in for surgery in October (although still dithering). I run, cycle etc. as well as climb, and have the same worries as you.

Anyone actually had the surgery?

In reply to Offwidth:

That's right. The overarching point is about return to active lifestyle post-surgery to that region of the foot - lots in common, as I know from family history of bunions.

In reply to Amber:

It really does depend on size/nature of bunion & proposed surgery. Small lump/bunion can be removed with osteotome & nibblers and would heal quite quickly. Large bunion which has deformed the joint/alignment of the big toe will require more bone removal & screws/plates/joint fusion. This requires much longer healing process & the purchase of new rockshoes!! Ask your surgeon for details of proposed surgery before deciding. Nik

In reply to buxtoncoffeelover:

Hacksaw and hardware for me... surgeon said 8 weeks plus recovery time, as in can't drive for that long. A nightmare for me as I'm a freelancer and currently work 25 miles away from home. And it's my right foot.

Having done a bit of googling, most people seem to make a pretty good recovery, including triathletes etc. Important bit seems to be staying off your feet as much as possible during recovery, and doing the physio to increase toe mobility.

Why new rock shoes? I'm looking forward to actually having a toe that goes into the toe bit of the shoe!

In reply to rousse:

What no-one is saying here is that such operations do have some risk of a bad outcome and always have a longish lay-off period. If your mobility is OK with some low level pain issues and your a bit busy for a lay-off the wait option is a worthwhile consideration.

In reply to Amber:

(Sorry, Hijack X 2) my big toe joint hurts like a bitch most of the time at the moment and has for about 5 years on and off. But i have no viable signs of disfigurement. Is this related to a bunion or perhaps something else?

In reply to Offwidth:

I know, but I'm not sure there'll ever be a 'good' time for an op. I was approved for an operation 20 years ago, so that's quite a long wait The toe is getting gradually worse, and while previously it never caused pain, now I do get pain and swelling. Plus it looks hideous, and vanity is getting the better of me. I'd rather have a scar.

I might have some option of working from home/lift sharing, so I can hopefully minimise lost earnings.

I do realise all operations have a risk, but the surgeon was of the opinion that most are due to people ignoring the post-op guidelines (not staying off feet being the main one). My googling did turn up the odd bad story, but most seemed to involve structural complications in addition to a bunion.

Anyway, I have a follow-up consult in September and am 80% sure that I'll go through with it.

In reply to rousse:

New rock shoes because your foot will be a (slightly) different shape & possibly a (slightly) different size. Bunion gone, toe straightened but possibly slightly shorter.

In reply to buxtoncoffeelover:

Or my existing ones might actually fit afterwards

In reply to rousse:

Surgeons have a habit of stressing the positive yet there are several possible negatives that may lead to the foot being worse after the op, the most likley probably being due to a post-op infection which can happen despite having the best surgeon in the world. It's all about improved functionality vs risk and a timing that suits; vanity is a terrible reason.

In reply to Offwidth:

Says a bloke who doesn't have to wear strappy sandals in the summer That's a very minor reason, anyway, I've lived with ugly feet for 20+ years.

It's mainly because leaving it to get worse and more painful and then undergo an even more serious operation doesn't seem like a good plan. I cycle a lot and it really gets aggravated by cycling shoes, it impacts my climbing (the lack of actual toe in the toe part of the shoe means I roll off edges easily), I'm starting to feel a lot more discomfort after longer runs or days in the hills, and I think it has caused (or at least contributed to) quite a few chronic injuries.

The surgeon was fairly clear about the risks and possible adverse outcomes. The risk of infection again seems to be down to post-op care and also smoking. I'm a fit, healthy non-smoker who's strongly motivated to make a full recovery (i.e. do my physio like a good girl and stay off my feet).

Anyway, Amber, if you are interested I'll keep you posted - my op is planned for the 13th October so I can let you know how things go?

In reply to rousse:

Hi everyone, thanks for the thoughts. My operation would be small, so good chances of full recovery, but would involve pinning to stop it coming back (I'm early 30s). I'm just nervous about how irreversible surgery is, and wonder whether 'full recovery' in the medical world might not mean full recovery to my mind (running, big Alpine routes, multi-pitch rock, etc.). However, all those things are becoming increasingly painful to do anyway... It'd just be so awful to wish you could go back to your old feet because of a bad experience. My internet searching seems to be very mixed, hopefully the bad experiences are indeed either because people tried weighting too soon, had bigger operations than I'd be having, or are still in the recovery phase.

Rousse, I'd definitely be interested in how things go, good luck with it all!

In reply to Amber:

Depends what you mean by a bunion which is a soft tissue problem often with underlying bone problem Hallux Valgus.The problem usually gets worse with more pain and discomfort and if recommended surgery seems to be the answer.Return to normal activity is usually about 6 weeks but not all results are satisfactory.

In reply to PATTISON Bill:

Hi Bill, indeed Hallux Valgus is what I'm talking about, and indeed surgery is the only cure. It's the possibility of 'unsatisfactory results' I'm worried about!

It seems that it's best to wait for the operation until the foot pain is stopping you from doing things anyway (I'm nearly there), although there also seems to be some merit in getting it fixed whilst it's still a minor operation, with smaller associated risks.