Foot reconstruction

[Hellbells]

Hi, has anyone had foot surgery due to RA, next year they are going to fuse the big toe rigid, then shorten a couple of toes and put rods in, was wondering if anyone has had similar and what the recovery was like?

[Eiram50]

Yes. In July last year I had pins put in four toes, big toe reset, bone shaved on side of foot and tendons cut and re attached. I was out the same night ( I begged!), with a moon boot and crutches. Recovery , essentially took maybe six weeks. However, the pins in my toes weren’t successful and need redone but for sure, the pain on walking was significantly diminished.

Wish you the best of luck going forward.

Marie

[Hellbells in reply to Eiram50]

Thank you that's really encouraging, thank you for sharing 👍

[davannh]

I had both my feet reconstructed about seven years ago, rods and fusion in both big toes and other toes straightened. Contracted MRSA in one wound, so not a brilliant recovery. My feet look a lot better but I am afraid to say they are still painful. Recovery was slower because of the MRSA, but although I was worried about putting my feet on the ground and standing it was much less painful than I had imagined.

I think the standard recovery is six weeks.

[Hellbells in reply to davannh]

Thank you for sharing

[oldtimer]

My foot fusion was wonderful and enabled me to walk again. The surgeon was so pleased he took photos of my foot!

The thing I found most useful was a K9 - a kneeling scooter instead of crutches. Although they do have some in my health authority, the physio I was allocated to had never heard of it, so I hired one - it arrived the following day after a phone call before I went in. The physio was very dubious but I took it in with me and then whizzed up and down the corridor on it the day after surgery. The student physio with her said 'It's fabulous!'

And I was in plaster for about twelve weeks altogether - 6 weeks non-weight bearing, 6 weeks partial. The last 6 weeks could have been in a boot but they didn't have one that had a big enough foot without the length so I would not have been able to bend my knee in it, so I had another plaster.

[Beviejon1 in reply to oldtimer]

I used one of those scooters for 2 of my foot surgeries.They are wonderful!

[Hellbells in reply to oldtimer]

The k9 sounds good!! Thank you

[Milo247 in reply to oldtimer]

Hi oldtimer, do you have a picture of the kneeling scooter? Oh wait , Im having both feet done maybe I couldn't use a scooter?

[medway-lady]

Yes 8 weeks agao and back wearing normal shoes and no pain at all. In fact it never hurt done with 3 small cuts 1 big one and lots of hole punches type of scabs. Was in plaster for 2 weeks then a big plastic boot. I did as they said and my left foot looks grat, in fact I'm rather proud of my matching pair of straight feet in pretty shoes again. Go for it and just follow instructions as I know someone who did'nt and ended up worse off. I have 2 metal plates screwed in several staples and was in overnight as I have clotting issues related to the RA.

[Hellbells in reply to medway-lady]

Wow that's the result I'm hoping for! Had RA 15 years and feet are really bad and the shoe situation a disaster!

[medway-lady in reply to Hellbells]

Got blue shoes, strappy with silver thread in the leather weave 4 inch heel for Christmas Day party and knee length black boots with ankle straps for a treat too.

[Hellbells in reply to medway-lady]

Wow that's amazing!! Enjoy!! 😊

[Milo247]

Hi Hellbells, I too am booked in for foot surgery next august, I feel like I am walking on marbles and I have claw toes and bunions from the RA, my surgeon is removing the bunions and yes he too is fusing one of the joints in my big toes, he is removing the "marbles" which I believe are collapsed bones or something similar and he is putting in dissolvable rods through my toes, I'm looking forward to the end result but not so much the process, I have had a 2 knees and a hip replaced so far, but the feet is a bit scary for me too, I am interested in sharing journeys with you if you have any interest in that, either way I wish you all the best and I for one am looking forward to the end result of pain free feet and walking relatively normally, NO WHEELCHAIRS for us!!!

[Hellbells in reply to Milo247]

Sent from my iPad

Your feet sound like mine!! The marbles broke the skin in my left foot, long story short resulted in me developing osteomyelitis in one toe, I was taken off all meds for ra to try and to get rid of it, which resulted in surgery in October where they shortened the toe by removing the toe joint and the Mable was gone! And cleaned out the bone where the infection was, my recovery was fine driving after two weeks, but I'm still not back on medication and that has been a living hell. I see the consultant on Friday and he better have a plan!,! Yes let's share 😂

[honeycombe3]

I had what seems like a similar operation to the one you describe. That was nearly 5 years ago & initially it appeared to have been successful. The recovery 6 weeks in plaster & the boot seemed to last forever - very painful. At the 6 week checkup I mentioned to the surgeon when the plaster was removed that the left big toe (which had the op) had moved to the left & asked if this was to be expected. He told me that a small amount of 'creepage' was not unusual. Today my foot is worse than before the surgery. The left big toe is pinned at a weird angle, the toe next to it, which was shortened on his advice, is curled under but loops up in the middle making shoes almost impossible.........I could fill a notebook. This was supposed to be the best surgeon in our region recommended by friends & family having had successful ops. I now find that none of those people is now comfortable: most are in pain.

Sorry. You will probably have an excellent procedure. I hope so.