How soon can I return to work after bunion surgery? - Dr. Blitz (2024)
“I need a bunionectomy, but I’ve been avoiding bunion surgery because I hear there’s a long recovery time, and I can’t afford to miss work. What should I do?”
It’s normal to be concerned about bunion surgery (such as lapidus bunionectomy) recovery times. Most people with bunions have busy lives, jobs, and hobbies to return to. And while you already know the bunion surgery before and after pictures will be worth the wait, you’ll be even more excited to learn that some bunion surgery procedures have a much shorter recovery time than they used to.
Returning to work depends in which bunion surgery you have.
Historically, surgical treatment of large bunions can require the patient to be non-weightbearing, in a cast and crutches. Many of the surgeons who perform traditional lapidus procedures still take this approach. But patients who opt for Bunionplasty® can look forward to a different experience.
In general, it takes about six weeks after bunion surgery for the bone to fully mend. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be laid up in bed for a month and a half. With a bunionectomy procedure like Bunionplasty®, created by Dr. Blitz, patients can walk the same day as their surgery.
Will I really be able to work after bunion surgery?
Dr. Blitz, who’s known as the Bunion King®, is the pioneer of the “early walking lapidus bunionectomy” (now called Bunionplasty®). It uses his advanced technology and patent-pending techniques to re-align and stabilize the bones of the foot. This allows patients to walk immediately after their bunion surgery.
Whether you can work right after bunion surgery, though, is a different question. It depends on what your job is.
If you have a desk job or spend most of the day sitting, you could go back to work the very next day after Bunionplasty® – especially if your job is remote or can get permission to work from home. But it’s never a bad idea to take a few days off to rest, if you can.
If your job requires you to be on your feet, or if your commute includes a lot of walking or standing, you might need to wait a bit longer to go back to work after bunion surgery.
In general, Bunionplasty® patients are walking in sneakers at six weeks, and returning to normal activities and footwear like high heels after just two months.
Will my bunion surgery require a cast and crutches?
Unlike traditional bunionectomy procedures, Dr. Blitz’s Bunionplasty® allows patients to walk immediately after the procedure. With Bunionplasty®, there’s no cast and no crutches, just a small surgical sandal.
Bunionplasty® is performed in an outpatient surgical center, sometimes called an ambulatory surgical center or ASC. There’s no overnight stay, and you can be home and resting the same day. You’ll also learn how to ice the foot after bunion surgery, along with other simple post-op instructions.
Of course, if you have another foot surgery at the same time as your bunionectomy, like hammer toe surgery or a procedure to correct polydactyly, your recovery will be different.
Bottom line: if you need bunion surgery and can’t afford to miss a lot of work, the Bunionplasty® procedure could be the ideal solution for you.
Six to 12 weeks after bunion surgery – If you didn't have to complete a no-weight-bearing period during recovery, most activities can be resumed around six or eight weeks.
Bunion surgery usually hurts for the first 48 hours after surgery then calms down. The worst time is 24-48 hours after surgery when the local anesthesia that was used to numb up your foot completely wears off. Ice and elevation almost constantly are the best way to manage your pain!
Putting any weight on an operated foot or ankle can damage the repair that's been done. Bones need time to heal. Plates or screws that may have been added during surgery need the bones to heal around them. Adding weight too soon can interrupt this important internal healing process.
Most patients return to walking shoes between 6-7 weeks after the surgery, low impact activity around 3 to 3 1/2 months, and back to all activity and exercise around 4 months. It is important to note, however, that everyone's recovery is different.
It's not uncommon for bunions to come back, even if you've had a bunionectomy. In fact, they're more likely to recur if your bunion surgery was simply to shave down the bone, as opposed to a procedure like a lapidus bunionectomy or other method of realigning the bones of the foot.
Week 1: The most important week: The first week after bunion surgery you should expect to spend most of the time resting with her foot elevated. Especially the first 3-4 days it is critical to keep her foot elevated to decrease swelling and pain.
Elevation and Ice: Elevation is the best way to decrease your pain and swelling. It only counts as elevation if your ankle is above your heart. Sitting in a chair with your foot on the coffee table is not enough.
Patients will not be able to feel the screws as they are placed within the bone. Screws are titanium alloy which are inert to the human body in the vast majority of cases. In fact, bone grows around the screw, rather than rejecting it. They can be safely left in forever.
It is important to rest and keep your foot elevated above the level of your heart for 23 hours a day for the first 2 weeks after your surgery. Elevating of your foot will encourage healing and decrease the chance of wound infection and break down. It will also help with pain and swelling.
You should wear the postoperative shoe, day and night. You can wiggle the toes, but the aim of this fortnight is to rest and get the skin wounds soundly healed.
Following your doctor's advice on pain medication, elevation, and icing is necessary to relieve pain, alleviate discomfort, and speed up recovery. Elevating your foot above heart level can help minimize swelling after bunion surgery.
These include potential complications like arthritis and avascular necrosis, and nerve damage which may cause limited or uncomfortable sensations in the feet. Some patients may still experience ongoing pain and swelling despite the surgery.
– Continued Weight-Bearing: Your doctor may allow you to progressively increase the amount of weight you put on the operated foot. – Physical Therapy: If physical therapy is recommended, this may help improve your foot's flexibility, strength, and overall function.
ROBERT SANTROCK, MD: Most typically the Lapiplasty® surgery is done as an outpatient, meaning you can go home the same day. Our typical patient would undergo a nerve block, which is a type of anesthesia that numbs you from about the knee down.
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 be healing. After six weeks, your foot should be sufficiently healed to walk without your surgical shoe.
You may need to refrain from driving for a week or more after surgery. Exercises or physical therapy may be recommended to help the foot recover its strength and range of motion after surgery. High heels should be avoided for at least 6 months after surgery.
Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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