How Long To Elevate Foot After Bunion Surgery

Bunions are bony lumps that course at the base of operations of the large toe on the inside side of the foot. They tin can be painful and make wearing certain footwear uncomfortable and sometimes, impossible.

There are several dissimilar causes of bunions. They are partly genetic, often running in families and can be fabricated worse with certain footwear choices. There are things that tin be washed to ease the discomfort of a bunion, such equally wearing wider and flatter shoes but surgery is the simply way to correct the underlying bony deformity that causes them.

Also known as a hallux valgus correction, bunion surgery involves correcting both the deformed bone and the lax tissues around the big toe. Having surgery to treat bunions early in the year volition increment your chances of being hurting free and able to article of clothing your favourite strappy sandals by the summertime.

Here, King Edward VII's Hospital consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Lee Parker, talks almost bunion surgery and how best to recover from it.

What is a bunion?

The bone of the big toe gradually moves, creating what's known every bit a hallux valgus. This results in a bony prominence chosen a bunion. When the skin rubs against the bunion, it causes pain and inflammation chosen bursitis.

Wearing wider plumbing fixtures or softer shoes can help to relieve the discomfort of bunions, only there may come a time when this no longer helps. If this is the case for yous, speaking to an orthopaedic foot and ankle specialist is advisable.

What happens during bunion surgery?

Bunions are acquired by a combination of a bone deformity in the pes and laxity, or looseness, in the soft tissues surrounding the joints that assist to maintain the internal structure of the foot. Because of this, most often a bunionectomy, that involves only shaving the bone, isn't plenty to remedy the trouble.

Instead, precise surgical cuts, called osteotomies, on the bones of the big toe are required to straighten-out the deformity. These cuts are so secured with minor surgical screws, buried into the bone to let the os to heal in the correct position.

At the same fourth dimension, the lax soft tissues are reinforced with surgical stitches to support the alignment of the big toe.

Bunion correction surgery is unremarkably carried out while y'all're asleep under a general anaesthetic. However, if you're unsuitable for a general anaesthetic due to wellness reasons, you may exist suitable for bunion surgery whilst awake, with your foot numbed past a local anaesthetic.

Either fashion, when your surgery is completed, your surgical team will apply heavy bandaging around your foot. This should remain in place for ii weeks. You will be provided with a surgical shoe that can exist worn over the superlative of the bandaging. This will allow yous to walk on your heel for brusk distances, such as effectually your abode, using crutches for back up if necessary.

How volition I manage my pain after surgery?

During surgery, your surgeon or anaesthetist will inject a local anaesthetic into the surface area surrounding the nerves in your talocrural joint or around your wound. This volition help to numb the area and minimise pain in the days post-obit surgery.

When the numbness wears off, yous'll be advised to accept painkillers on a regular basis to help you manage your pain. Depending on your medical history, this will usually be a combination of paracetamol and codeine or an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen.

How much pain will I feel subsequently surgery and how long will it last?

You tin can look to feel some level of pain in the days later on bunion surgery. Each person experiences this differently but information technology's normal to have minor low level pain, commonly acquired past swelling inside the human foot.

Elevating your foot for 55 minutes in each hr and taking regular painkillers for 2 weeks afterward surgery volition help to proceed pain at a minimum. Using extra pillows and cushions in bed and while resting on the sofa will help to keep your human foot elevated.

After two weeks, your pain should lessen and your need to take painkillers will reduce.

Is there anything else I can do to minimise pain during my recovery?

Your foot volition be supported by heavy bandaging during the two weeks following surgery. This protects the human foot and volition aid to reduce the swelling and the pain associated with swelling then it should be kept on.

2 weeks later surgery, you will need to attend infirmary to have your dressings removed. Once your dressings are removed, you will find that your foot swells when y'all're up and about. For this reason, it's recommended that y'all continue to rest and elevate your pes as often equally possible.

Gently applying an ice pack or pocketbook of frozen peas wrapped in a towel to your foot will also assistance to reduce swelling and hurting.

How should I keep my wound clean?

Whilst your foot is covered with heavy bandaging in the first 2 weeks following surgery, you must keep your human foot and the bandages dry. You tin can accept a bath, whilst keeping your affected foot out of the h2o, or you can shower using a waterproof LimbO Bag covering your foot.

When y'all visit the infirmary ii weeks after surgery to accept your dressings removed, your specialist nurse will give y'all full instructions on looking after your wound. They will also trim or remove any excess stitches.

You should keep the wound covered, and y'all'll be given enough spare dressings to continue it clean and covered for the next seven-x days.

It isn't necessary to clean and redress the wound each mean solar day, only you should aim to permit air to become to the wound for a brusque period every few days. Should you need to clean your wound during this time, do so with clean hands using a clean confront cloth, soap and water. It'southward of import not to disturb any scabbing on the wound, and instead allow it to scrap off naturally on its own.

If you're concerned well-nigh scarring, you tin can massage the skin surrounding the wound with Bio-Oil once the wound has scabbed over.

What should I wear on my anxiety whilst I recover?

Your wound should remain bandaged for ii weeks, and the surgical shoe given to you afterward surgery can exist used to protect your bandaging during this time.

Afterward six weeks, your surgeon will advise you to return to normal footwear. However, your human foot will nonetheless need back up and information technology will yet keen when you're upright.

For this reason, a shoe with a soft upper and a supportive insole is platonic. Sketcher shoes offering a suitable range of options.

Are there whatever exercises I should be doing to aid my recovery?

After your bandages have been removed, your surgeon will show you how to gently motility your big toe to help prevent information technology becoming strong. The muscles of your forefoot may also go weak, and y'all'll be given exercises to assist strengthen these muscles.

For the first ii weeks, you should go along your foot elevated for 55 minutes in each hour, and you should only walk a few metres at a time, wearing your surgical shoe when weight bearing.

After your two week check-up, and your bandages take been removed, you'll be able to spend more time walking in your surgical shoe and moving your toes and ankle.

Stiffness and muscle wasting can be a problem following bunion surgery and then moving the hip, knee and talocrural joint of your operated leg is important. Equally is gently and regularly moving your toes to motility the blood around and prevent DVT.

In one case you've had your six week follow up appointment, y'all'll have a clearer thought of what other exercise yous tin can begin. For the adjacent iii-6 months, repetitive load bearing may cause your pes to nifty, but gentle swimming, cycling, yoga and pilates can be started 8 weeks afterward surgery.

What is the recovery like post-obit bunion surgery?

In the majority of cases, most surgeons will allow yous to walk short distances using a surgical shoe on the same twenty-four hours as surgery, once you've recovered from the anaesthesia. Your surgical shoe will help to protect your large toe by preventing it from pressing confronting the ground whilst you walk.

Y'all will be helped onto your feet by your nursing team and a physiotherapist, who will assess your needs for additional walking aids such as crutches.

You will need to wear your surgical shoe for six weeks following surgery. During this time, the cuts to your bone and the repair to your soft tissue will exist healing. After vi weeks, your foot should be sufficiently healed to walk without your surgical shoe.

Your medical team will book you in for a vi calendar week check-up up to appraise your healing. You should bring a wide fitting, supportive trainer with you to this appointment so that your nurse or medico can assess your walking.

The aim of bunion surgery is to right the deformity and relieve pain, merely there is also an artful element to the surgery. Your surgeon volition aim to create a natural looking, hurting free, functional foot.

When will I go back to normal life?

If you lot have a task that involves by and large sitting, such as desk-bound-piece of work, you should exist fine to return to work after 3-4 weeks. Information technology's important to allow yourself adequate time to heal and recover from the anaesthesia, even if you're able to work from dwelling, so you should allow a week before returning to piece of work if this is the example.

You should allow 6-8 weeks off work if you take a manual job or you lot need to be on your anxiety all day.

If you drive an automatic motorcar and your left foot is your operated foot, you can brainstorm to bulldoze curt distances after 2 weeks. Y'all should refrain from driving whatsoever car for six weeks if your right pes is your operated foot.

Most chiefly, if you're however taking strong painkillers or your mobility is restricted such that you cannot safely get into and out of a motorcar in an emergency at whatsoever indicate following surgery you should refrain from driving.

Returning to running, contact sports and racquet sports is possible afterward four to six months from bunion surgery. You lot may find that your human foot still swells or feels uncomfortable from time to time, but this will settle. Wearing insoles inside your trainers or sports shoes tin be helpful in preventing overloading the big toe.

In terms of wearing strappy sandals and short heels, information technology should exist possible to wear these kinds of shoes from around three months following surgery.

When should I speak to my medico?

Medical problems such equally infection in the wound or your foot following bunion surgery can accept a couple of weeks to sally. Past then, you would've been seen back in the hospital to have your dressings removed. If any infection is nowadays, your surgeon will take the appropriate activity.

If yous find that your wound begins to discharge fluid or it gapes open or if the surrounding skin becomes red and warm, you should contact the clinic or consultant as these could be signs of an infection.

Some complications can arise sooner, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Any kind of lower limb surgery carries with it a small run a risk of developing DVT, but it'south rare after bunion surgery.

Signs of DVT include swelling, warmth and pain in the calf. Contact the hospital if you lot're concerned.

How likely is it that I'll need further surgery?

Reasons for further bunion surgery vary. Surgery to remove a prominent screw or to correct non-healing bone cuts is rare, affecting only 2-3% of cases.

Even so surgery to correct a recurrent deformity of the bone afterward initial bunion surgery is more than common, affecting 10-xv% of people who accept bunion correction surgery.

Whether or non you lot demand further surgery will depend on how well you recovered, the blazon of surgery you had and the experience level of your surgeon.

If y'all're concerned about your bunions returning, speak to your surgeon who can adjust a consultation to assess your needs.

More than information

● If yous think you might have bunions, speak to your GP who can refer you to a foot specialist. If you lot don't have a GP, you can make an appointment with one of our same twenty-four hours private GPs.
● The Male monarch Edward 7's Hospital Orthopaedic Surgery Department is a globe leader in orthopaedics, including the direction and handling of bunions.
● Mr Lee Parker is a consultant orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon at Rex Edward 7'due south Infirmary and London Orthopaedic Clinic.