Community discussion

Warning: Long Post Alert!

Archive date 14 archived replies

Warning: Long Post Alert! I've honestly tried to edit but there is a lot to say... I had MIS bunion surgery, in the UK, on my right foot about 3 months ago, so I thought I'd give an update, especially for those who might be considering this technique. But please remember, although I'm not as tough as Rocky Balboa, I've always had the eye of the tiger and enjoyed the thrill of the fight. I suspected I had bunions in an era when you had to go to Blockbuster Video to rent movies on shiny discs called DVDs. For the most part, my bunions caused me no problems; I went through life just fine, even becoming a runner in the process. I tended to dismiss the mild mannered warning signs, but eventually my bunions embraced the dark side and would bring me to tears and a few choice words. So, you can understand my bias when I say: I don't recommend waiting until you experience "pain" before taking action. Bunions are a structural issue, and you wouldn't buy a house if only part of the foundation were sinking into the sand or drive a car with a tyre that's almost flat. But... "Weight bearing" is NOT the same as walking with full range of motion. You won't be Livin' da Vida Loca in two weeks, but you can move like a zombie extra from the Walking Dead. In my case, it took about a month to walk normally. At 3 months post op I can tip toe with full range of motion just fine (dorsiflex?) but I don't quite have full planter flexion in my big toe, but I'll continue my daily exercises and foot strengthening...but my right foot is functional again. So now the lecture.... If you're gonna to do this, you MUST PRIORITISE your recovery. If you're unsure, take MORE time than LESS. PLEASE DO NOT go back to work too soon, unless you work in the beds & furniture department of IKEA and you have to demonstrate comfort and elevation for most of your shift. Take GOOD care of yourselves my friends.

Archived from Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery. View the original discussion on Facebook (sign-in may be required).

Community replies

14 in this archive

The visible discussion was fully captured at the time of collection.

Community comment#1

I’m 4 months post op and completed a 10K trail race today. Half marathon training up next 👍. I wasn’t sure how well I was going to do returning to running.

...Wow! Congratulations my friend! 🎉🎉🎉 Can I ask...how did it feel? I'm hoping I'm cleared to run next month for my final follow up assessment. I sincerely wish you all the best with your running. You genuinely give me hope! 🙏🏾

Community comment#5

Your foot looks great 👏I went to see a surgeon who said he doesn’t do MIS and he totally recommended I don’t have surgery as it’s so painful 🤷🏻‍♀️. I need to find another !!!

... It is still a surgery so there will be discomfort, but I let it get so bad that my bunion pain was worse then any post op discomfort. But if you can read about the MIS method, as its less invasive. Good luck on your journey.

Community comment#7

Your foot looks amazing! Where did you have it done please? Also what metal work do you have now? So are we talking about 6-8 weeks before walking without a limp? Or is that too ambitious? 😑

... It depends on if you get MIS or a more traditional method. My procedure was based in South London. It took me about a month to walk normally. But each journey is individual. I think headless micro screws were used...but I'm not too sure? 😅

Community comment#9

This is fantastic and really helpful! I'm 5 weeks post op, really looking forward to my 6 week follow up and hopefully be out of the special heel shoe and into a trainer. It has certainly tested my patients at times but I know it'll be worth it and it won't be much longer now until I can walk freely again. Do you drive? How long before you were able to drive again (I know everyone is different but always good to get an idea)

Community comment#10

May I ask - do you have permanent or any other hardware, screws?

Community comment#11

Wow! How did you keep your muscle mass? By walking uphill? How soon after surgery did you start? Concerned about not working out. Will have to make adjustments

...I felt comfortable after a month for smaller journeys...but I limited what I did until about week 5, when I felt settled. It certainly does test your patience. 😅 But I'm wishing you all the best with your recovery Ginger.

...excuse my late reply! I didn't do any exercise for the first few days. After that I did seated workouts on YouTube with more focus on upper body and core.

← More Bunion Surgery Recovery