Bunions

[hlm]

I am a 37 year old female who has had pain in my big toe joints since my teen years. I had very limited motion up, but still had fairly good down motion. Several years ago I began a quest to fix the problem. First I tried orthotics ibuprofen, etc. Next I had my first surgery: chilectomy with elevational osteotomy ( my pod. said my first metatarsal was elevated significantly) My joint froze again after the surgery and my pod. said he didn't lower the bone enough. I agreed to a 2nd surgery to get an implant in the joint and another elevational osteotomy where he used an external fixator to allow me to bear weight much sooner than the first time. That was right after Thanksgiving 2007 and I am in more pain now than ever and the joint is once again frozen. The pod. blames it on the external fixator and that we couldn't be aggressive enough with the stretching after the surgery. He now wants to remove the joint altogether! I am unwilling to go thru another surgery without a 2nd opinion. Anyone else ever been in my shoes, so to speak? I am a mother to 5, 4 of whom are very active boys.

[FrancesRose]

I also had 2 surgeries on the same foot. I have also had sore big toe joints since my late teens or twenties and I am currently 57. I finally had the surgery on my left toe 5 years ago. My big toes joints were both basically completely frozen, so the podiatrist put an implant in. It was very painful following the surgery and I had no more movement. He decided that he put an implant in that was too big and wanted to operate again to put in a smaller one. My family encouraged me to go to someone else, so I did. The second doctor put a smaller implant in, but had to take more bone, and now my big toe is shorter than it was. It doesn't look great, but it is better and I have some movement, and the pain is gone. I am reluctant after all this to have my right one done, which really needs it.