UKC

Hi,

I have bunions on the outside of my little toes on both feet. They are starting to get painful even when just walking in regular shoes, before it was only when wearing ski boots or going for long runs.

I visited the hospital and was advised that my feet are textbook bunion generators. So, he will shave off some of the bone, then fracture and refit another bone (I think it was the metatarsal or proximal bone for the little toe - I can't remember), putting it back together with a screw. Then he'll shave a bit more to ensure it's smooth.

6-8 weeks before I can walk freely.

But, he'll only do it if I really want it and if my current suffering is worth it.

I'm curious if anyone here has had similar operations and how long recovery was till you were back at full strength/fitness.

Or any comments about alternative solutions.

Part of the issue is that I do a lot of ski mountaineering, and I always have trouble with ski boots. But, I'm not sure if the pain is bad enough right now to miss 6-8 weeks, or more.

cheers.

I have no wisdom, but interested to follow. My bunions are on big toe joints and are hereditary down my mother's side of the family. We even all have the left one bigger than the right! They are not unbearable at the moment, but they are blooming awkward to get shoes to fit!! I'd certainly no be interested in surgery just now, but who knows for the future. 

Good luck in making your decision

I had a large bone spur removed and bone shaving from my right big toe on 12th April. It was making wearing anything but trainers pretty well impossible. My surgeon says it’s a combination of a historical trauma plus wearing tight Testarossas for years!

it was 4 weeks before all dressings removed, and return to walking normally a couple of weeks later. So we’re about 8 weeks out now, I’ve got a pair of scarpa vapours in quite a large size for me. This week was my first proper visit to a wall, have bouldered outside and on a circuit board. It’s only really this week that I’ve been able to weight that toe properly without noticing.

I would have had to wait 18 weeks on the NHS, so used my work insurance and got it done with three days wait and ready to climb over the summer. Use the 8 weeks well, set yourself an upper body target. I spent the time on Beastmaker and Campus rungs, and reckon I got better benefit than going climbing

its pretty cool to start wearing proper footwear again, and at my age, my red Merrills with a suit were starting to raise eyebrows.

I've held off from the operation,  even though I didn't get on with the orthotics. It limits what I can do (no running or consecutive ice climbing days) but I can still climb and walk pretty much the same 20 years on from when the problem developed (albeit not with tight climbing shoes) even though it is getting slowly worse.

For surgery I've never seen a UK link with all the failure rates properly detailed, especially due to things like infections that shouldn't have happened. Some sites of warn of risks but miss some of the big ones (plus any general anaesthetic has a not insignificant risk).

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/what-to-do-about-bun...

I've held off from the operation,  even though I didn't get on with the orthotics. It limits what I can do (no running or consecutive ice climbing days) but I can still climb and walk pretty much the same 20 years on from when the problem developed (albeit not with tight climbing shoes) even though it is getting slowly worse.

For surgery I've never seen a UK link with all the failure rates properly detailed, especially due to things like infections that shouldn't have happened. Some sites of warn of risks but miss some of the big ones (plus any general anaesthetic has a not insignificant risk).

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/what-to-do-about-bun...

I've held off from the operation,  even though I didn't get on with the orthotics. It limits what I can do (no running or consecutive ice climbing days) but I can still climb and walk pretty much the same 20 years on from when the problem developed (albeit not with tight climbing shoes) even though it is getting slowly worse.

For surgery I've never seen a UK link with all the failure rates properly detailed, especially due to things like infections that shouldn't have happened. Some sites of warn of risks but miss some of the big ones (plus any general anaesthetic has a not insignificant risk).

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/what-to-do-about-bun...

I've held off from the operation,  even though I didn't get on with the orthotics. It limits what I can do (no running or consecutive ice climbing days) but I can still climb and walk pretty much the same 20 years on from when the problem developed (albeit not with tight climbing shoes) even though it is getting slowly worse.

For surgery I've never seen a UK link with all the failure rates properly detailed, especially due to things like infections that shouldn't have happened. Some sites of warn of risks but miss some of the big ones (plus any general anaesthetic has a not insignificant risk).

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/what-to-do-about-bun...

My wife had both feet done at the same time and is very happy with the outcome - footwear now comfortable and she runs, plays tennis etc.

Ok, interesting, so if she had both done at the same time, how mobile was she able to be?

My Mum and my sister both had this done, about 40 years apart and both are very happy. 

She is a toughie and was hobbling about the house a bit within days. Fortunately I was able to do some work from home at first to look after her. Getting both done at the same time is not the usual way of doing it

I have a bunion at the moment. Just consider this sage advice about orthopaedic surgeons. ‘ the man with a hammer always wants to knock a nail in’. Ultimately, it’s up to you