Hello, I'm new to this group.

Miss spoke this is two weeks post op. And I have to get a bunion splint because my big toe is trying to slide back. MD wasn’t surprised but also not happy big toe is trying to slide back. One week post op the gap was bigger and md wants it back to one week post op position

that really helps so much. I was feeling deeply uncomfortable with my Dr's sales pitch of why I MUST do his mis puncture foot surgery.

how is your recovery going? Did you get the surgery on both feet?

yes!! I'm about 5 weeks out on left foot and 8 weeks on right. Originally was going to do the right foot first and wait until next spring, but timing and good insurance worked out well...one longer recovery, is all

smart I would've done the same. Your feet look amazing congrats on getting it over with🙌🏻

thanks, good luck to you!!

I really appreciate your response🙏🏻 the podiatrist didn't tell me I can't run for 3 months 😥🤯 he said healing is 6-8 weeks

sorry I personally would drop the podiatrist and see an orthopaedic surgeon

I disagree with this advice! There are plenty of podiatrists that perform way more bunion surgeries than orthos, which is important because you want a doctor with the most experience and who performs the type of surgery that you need regularly.

6-8 weeks is the time it takes for bones to fully heal, but you won’t be feeling back to running until around 3 months. I had MIS in Oct and was back to running mid-January. It takes a while for your body overall to catch up after a surgery like this- I was amazed by how exhausted I got when I started to get into more activity - even just walking or running errands. Honestly if you don’t have pain, and it’s not affecting your other toes, I would hesitate on surgery. They won’t necessarily get worse, or incredibly worse, with time. If you wear the right shoes (wide toe box, not restricting) and good insoles/orthotics, you should be able to prevent or at least slow progression as the years go on! That said, I’m happy I had the surgery (mine were painful), but the downtime and recovery is a lot.

you are welcome to disagree! In Australia, where I am from, bunion surgery is only recommended (by Medicare) when performed by orthopaedic surgeons, not podiatrists

oh I see! That makes sense then.

that's really good information thank you🙏🏻 I made an appointment with a pt to help me choose shoes and decide what to do ☺️

you’re obviously uneducated about the extensive surgical training of podiatrists

you will be back to most daily activity by then, but not high impact exercise like running.

thank you 🙏🏻

you don’t need to be rude! I also respectfully said ‘in my opinion’. Please also see my earlier comment above re the context of being in Australia where surgery by podiatrists are not recognised by our public health system

also check out some barefoot brand shoes- they’re nice and wide, and you can wear an orthotic with them if you need to. Most ship worldwide.

thanks! How are you feeling now 2.5 weeks later? Were you awake for the surgery? Cosmetically I don't care, calluses can so easily be removed. but I certainly don't want to have issues later on😥

It was the appearance of the bunions I couldn’t stand! I’m doing really well. I’m in sneakers now and starting to slowly walk heel to toe again, but it takes time. Still have some pain too and need to elevate a lot. But this is normal and I’m noticing improvements every day. I had a general anaesthetic

I'm so glad you're recovering well! It's nice to hear from satisfied people after my last half hour of scrolling through such horror stories on here🙈 I'm a runner. I'm concerned about the length of time I'm going to have to hold off on running for each surgery. What did they tell you about when you will be able to exercise again?

Everyone is different, but they have said 3-6 months to me. The way I see it is that it might feel like an eternity at the time, but in the scheme of your existence it’s not long and you will reap the benefits for the next 40 + years! As long as you get yourself a good surgeon too (who does this procedure a lot). Many of the horror stories I’ve read also seem to relate to the more traditional bunion surgeries, not MIS But your bunions look super mild to me. Mine were moderate but caused me a lot of anxiety. So you just need to weigh up things.

thanks I tried to Google this but can't find any info, what does this do?

Yup! On the outside the incisions are tiny but it requires more bone healing. You might be full weight bearing initially but it’s still 3 months (maybe less) before you’re cleared to run or do high impact.

How to perform foot doming: Find a comfortable position: You can do this exercise seated or standing. Flat foot contact: Ensure your heel and toes are firmly in contact with the ground. Raise the arch: Imagine shortening the foot and drawing the ball of the foot towards the heel, creating a doming effect. Maintain the dome: Hold the arched position for a few seconds, focusing on engaging the foot muscles. Repeat: You can do 10-15 repetitions on each foot, gradually increasing the hold time as you get stronger.

How to perform foot doming: Find a comfortable position: You can do this exercise seated or standing. Flat foot contact: Ensure your heel and toes are firmly in contact with the ground. Raise the arch: Imagine shortening the foot and drawing the ball of the foot towards the heel, creating a doming effect. Maintain the dome: Hold the arched position for a few seconds, focusing on engaging the foot muscles. Repeat: You can do 10-15 repetitions on each foot, gradually increasing the hold time as you get stronger.

if you think about it a flat foot leads to a c collapsed arch. If you are doing an exercise that contracts the arch muscle in the foot your arch is getting stronger. A stronger arch can only help the bunions. You may also want to go into Altra shoes because they are foot shaped. Barebarics are too. Most shoes have raised heel and narrower toe box even shoes marked wide size. Let those feet spread out. Oh and you might want to look at the company called correct toes. They have exercises and toe spreaders. I'm not saying you wont' need surgery I don't know that. But having your feet in a more natural position and strengthening the arch can't hurt

I so appreciate all the info!! I definitely will buy those sneakers and toe spreaders🙏🏻 will look up the exercises too. Thank you so much

I just wanted to thank you for your excellent advice. I saw a physical therapist yesterday and he gave me that exact exercise which I already knew how to do ☺️