I have bunions that cause me pain sometimes and discomfort, and a disability to wear high heeled shoes. My feet have also become wider since I've developed the bunions. I'm thinking of having surgery this summer, since I'll be home for summer vacation. However, I'm going home in early June and coming back here in mid to late August - I wonder if that's enough time for complete recovery?

If you've had bunion surgery, pleeeaasseee tell me each and every single detail about it, I'm getting nervous!

I'm bumping this as I'm definitely having it now - the more I prolong it the worse it gets! Anyone who's had, please I'd appreciate any tidbit of info! Thanks...

I know people who have had it ..........go for it and good luck !!!!!!!!!!! just refrain from wearing high heels for awhile and you should be ready for Summer 2008

i have the start of bunions and i'm 19. :( :( :( I don't even wear high heels often!

im supposed to have the surgery but i dont have the time or the money to take off work for that long....one day ill get it done

my doctor told me 6 weeks is the least amount of time to 8 weeks but it depends on so many different things...he said it could be longer than 8 weeks recovery....theres no way i couldnt work for 8 weeks and not have a paycheck comming in

I had it done two years ago. I was in a cast for three weeks, then the pressure boot for maybe 6-8 more weeks? I can't remember now. I took three weeks off at the end of December, so when I went back to work, I wore the pressure boot.

The pressure boot was really easy to get around it. Then I went to sneakers for the rest of the year. So basically, I didn't wear regular shoes for about a year (well, I did wear flats toward the end of the year if we were going out somewhere). Your foot will be swollen for about a year. I didn't believe my doctor, but it was actually true.

If you have any questions, ask away!

I had this done about 5 years ago..maybe six..I just had one on my left foot..I was out of work for 2 weeks...Then I could drive but I had to wear the big ugly shoe for 6 weeks...YUCK!! I live in high heels so that killed me..I actually had to buy another wardrobe b/c all my dress pants were too long!! I slowly got back into shoes..slowly...In all honesty I hated this period...I so missed my high heels!! The foot takes a LONG time for the swelling to go down..it goes down a lot of course initially...but for it to heal enitirely it takes 6 mo-yr...I wore very low pumpss for a long long time..and had to buy 2 pair of the same thing b/c my left foot was bigger due to the swelling....I noticed changes every week....I did throw out a lot of my shoes though...ones that didn't fit properly & were painful to wear....I live in high heels to this day...but I am very careful what I buy.....I walk around in them for a while in the shoe store...As I put up w a TON of pain for years...having this surgery was the best thing I ever did...pm me if you have any questions..do it now..while you're young..so it doesn't get any worse and takes less time to heal....Good luck!!

Thanks so much for the responses everyone! I also looked it up online and it says not to have unless there is no other option. Did you ladies have it when the pain was too much? Mine don't hurt THAT much, but when I work, (I do part time retail in a mall, still a student) they hurt like hell at the end of the day coz we have to wear dress shoes. What I dislike is that my feet have become wider. I'm only a size 5.5 so the widening doesn't look good, lol.

How is the pain? How long is it complete bed rest? And are you happy with your foot after the surgery?

I have bunions, too, and I sometimes can't believe how bad my feet hurt at the end of the day. I've read that a lot of people get them back after surgery -- can anyone who has had the surgery comment on that?

wow! i can't believe how intensive is the process. I have bunions, but they don't hurt. (Thank God!) I just feel like an old lady with them. I have wide feet to begin with and they just make them wider!

Originally Posted by Babydoll Chanel

Thanks so much for the responses everyone! I also looked it up online and it says not to have unless there is no other option. Did you ladies have it when the pain was too much? Mine don't hurt THAT much, but when I work, (I do part time retail in a mall, still a student) they hurt like hell at the end of the day coz we have to wear dress shoes. What I dislike is that my feet have become wider. I'm only a size 5.5 so the widening doesn't look good, lol. How is the pain? How long is it complete bed rest? And are you happy with your foot after the surgery?

My bunion didn't hurt all that bad, unless I was walking all day long. Also, some shoes wouldn't fit b/c my bunion stuck out so bad.

The pain was only really bad for two days after the surgery. After that it wasn't bad at all, and I think I only took the pain meds for about 5 days, after that I was okay. I was only on complete bed rest for those two days that really hurt. I'm pretty happy with my foot now - I can wear shoes that didn't used to fit.

Originally Posted by Babydoll Chanel

I also looked it up online and it says not to have unless there is no other option. Did you ladies have it when the pain was too much? Mine don't hurt THAT much, but when I work, (I do part time retail in a mall, still a student) they hurt like hell at the end of the day coz we have to wear dress shoes. What I dislike is that my feet have become wider. I'm only a size 5.5 so the widening doesn't look good, lol.

So is this surgery something that your foot doctor is recommending? Have you consulted another doctor for a second opinion? I understand the part about you being on your feet all day and them hurting at the end of the day. Could it be that your shoes just don't fit properly and you need to buy shoes that fit better?

If your feet are widening, your arches might be falling (hence giving you flatter feet). I've got the same problem. If that's the issue, have you considered arch supports?

I'd recommend icing your feet at the end of the day, it really helps. I do it a lot after I've been on my feet for a long time.

My sister had it done on one foot and had a hard time dealing with it. She said it was horrible. I know she had pain but I think it was being laid up for maybe 2 weeks and then wearing that boot thing that drove her crazy. She was used to being able to go from morning to night and did not like being stuck at home after surgery. She is supposed to get her other foot done but keeps putting it off. Her bunions were really big and ugly and once she got the one foot done you would never think she had a bunion unless you saw the faint scar.

Oh boy, foot surgery. Yes, I've had bunion surgery. I had surgery on both feet for bunions and hammertoes about 20 years ago. I had to have the bunion surgery repeated on one foot last November. At that time I also had some repair to the toes as they never healed quite straight. The surgery was rather involved. The bunion was really not a problem surgically but my toes required more care and attention (pins, wrapping, etc). I stayed in the boot about six weeks, I think. The boot was a drag as it did not quite match the height of my athletic shoe and threw my gait off slightly. I had some back pain because of that. Showering is also a problem unless you can stick your foot completely out of the water. I then graduated to an athletic shoe. By February, I was doing a fitness bootcamp which I continued daily for four months. I managed that with very little pain in my feet (everything else hurt like hell though). I can wear most of my shoes now although they still feel tight. I even had some stretched to make them more comfortable. Just lately I have had a lot of pain and cannot wear a high heel. I'm really bummed. Last week, I went to a party in heels and could barely walk back across the street to my own house. I've gone back to my last podiatrist and have gotten a second opinion from another doctor. I've had a cortisone shot and am trying some pads to alleviate the pain. The pain I'm having now is nerve pain and may be related to my big toe and to the second and third toe. I may need to have another surgery which will be even more complicated requiring bone grafts. I am not telling you this to scare you but just to relate what has happened to me. I would certainly recommend bunion surgery if you are having pain and trouble fitting into shoes. It's not just for the appearance of your foot but also for the function. I wish I had gotten more opinions before I settled on a doctor. I went with the one my PCP recommended. I have since found podiatrists that specialize in atheletes and they seem to understand what I'm trying to accomplish in terms of function. I may be 51 but I don't just want to walk. I want to be as active as possible and I need my feet!

Hi all,

I recently had surgery for a bunion on my left foot and am now scheduled for the same surgery on my right foot later next month. Before my surgery, I had read many posts from people seeking advice and some who had bad experiences. Since I have had great success with my surgery, I wanted to share my story.
I have had a bunion on my right foot for about 30 years, since I was a teenager. Years ago it was very painful and I went to numerous foot doctors who discouraged me from surgery for various reasons. Over the past ten years it has not bothered me at all but of course it is unsightly and embarrassing. Last year my right foot started to bother me and within months a bunion formed on that foot as well. About that time I noticed that the big toe on my right foot was starting to move over on top of the next toe. At that point I decided to see a doctor to discuss my options. It did take a few months and three different doctors to find what I was looking for. I needed to be able to walk without crutches and drive. Two of the doctors told me that wouldn’t happen for weeks. I also wanted to have the surgery in the doctor’s office with local anaesthetic. This was also an issue for two of the doctors. The last one I found met all my criteria. On November 20, 2007, he performed a Mitchell procedure on my left foot and sent me home in a Darco Orthowedge shoe. It took a few minutes to get used to this shoe but it takes all your weight off your toes and it sure beats crutches. The doctor instructed me to stay off my foot for as much as possible for two days so I stayed on the couch most of the time. I had hardly any pain. Just a little sore and a few twinges now and again but nothing like I expected. Two weeks after the surgery I had the stitches out and was able to wash my foot. I also started using Mederma gel to minimize the scarring. At three weeks the doctor gave me a flat booty to wear but he didn’t know that I had already been walking in loose regular shoes at only 18 days after surgery with no problems or pain. My x-rays were perfect and by four weeks after surgery I was walking normal again. I am now back in regular shoes and have experienced no problems what so ever. My foot looks great without the big bump and the scar is already disappearing.
I am scheduled for the same Mitchell procedure on my right foot on February 29. This bunion is larger than the other but the doctor expects the same outcome. Since I have lived with that bunion for so many years I am anxious to have it removed.
For anyone considering this type of surgery, I suggest that you get a few opinions and keep searching until you find a doctor that you feel comfortable with. I am still amazed at the differing treatments and recovery options that I was offered. As for making that final decision, you’ll probably know when it’s time as I did. I realized that they were only going to get worse and someday I would need the surgery. By doing it now I get to enjoy my new feet sooner than later. Good luck to all!