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How long is accessory navicular surgery recovery and what are the stages?

Discussion in 'Ask your questions here' started by Unregistered, Feb 18, 2009.

  1. Foot Doc

    Foot Doc Guest


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    Does you doctor have a telephone? If so, have you parents call him/her

    FOOT DOC
     
  2. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Well if I call my doctor, he is going to tell the same thing. The whole point of my inquiry was to get a second opinion. But thank you for your time.
     
  3. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I kno this sounds stupid but they knock u out for surgery or do they just numb the area
     
  4. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I am so grateful to have found this thread. I just had surgery one week ago for an accessory navicular bone in my right foot. I had waited nearly 2 years, trying orthodics and physical therapy to recover from an injury to the bone caused by a bad fall in 2008, to no avail. I visited 2 teaching hospitals and received the same diagnosis from 2 different surgeons, and finally decided to opt for the surgery. While I really like my surgeon and his bed-side manner, I found that I had to educate myself on the internet as to my ailment, treatment and recovery. I wish the words "posterior tibial tendon" and "accessory navicular" had been given to me in writing so that I could learn about them and educate myself on my procedure. Instead, I couldn't remember the terms for the tendon/bone and luckily stumbled upon some useful websites by typing "arch pain". I too believe that my surgeon provided me with a gross underestimation of recovery time. From all I've read, I'm expecting to spend 3 months recovering, even though I have been told it will only take 8 weeks. I have my post-op appointment in 2 days, at which time I hope to learn more about what my recovery will be like. Given how long it takes to bear weight, I am wondering how I will know if the surgery was actually done properly without having to wait 3 months to find out I can't walk properly? Are there tests that can be done in the interim, or milestones I can look for in my healing?
     
  5. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I'm 28 years old I just had my surgery today they took out only a piece of my bone and filed the bone down. Not sure the recover time but I have no pian meds and the pain is there but worker's comp didn't approve my meds. But non weight bearing and on crutches sucks but Surgery was not all that bad but ill see tomorrow.
     
  6. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I had surgery 6 weeks ago and I was knocked out for it, it's pretty painfull and they have to cut the tendon so it's best they put you to sleep.
     
  7. Foot Doc

    Foot Doc Guest

    I now do just about all of my foot surgeries under local anesthesia, and most without even sedation. It use to be very common to admit a foot surgery patient to the hospital the day before surgery and not discharge him/her until 2 or 3 days after surgery. But those days are long gone, and the last thing I want to do is discharge a still somewhat groggy patient with a cast on one leg or on crutches or even in a weight-bearing surgical shoe, and surgery under local allows me not have to do that. The fact is that if one's surgeon is skilled in the use of local anesthesia, there is no reason that the patient will experience any intra-operative pain, and, at least in my hands, they tolerate the entire experience without difficulty and with the bonus that they have some sense of what what had taken place and how long it took. It removes some of the mystery and total lack of understanding of the event which many patients admit to after their surgeries. Once they are convinced that they will experience no pain, they general settle down and sometimes even enjoy the experience. I have not had anyone tell me that they regretted having their surgery performed under local.

    By the way, as you were "knocked out," how do you know that it was "pretty painful?"

    FOOT DOC
     
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2010
  8. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest


    It was painful when I woke up not during the surgery as I DON'T remember the surgery.
     
  9. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I had surgery 6 weeks ago, and I am only just walking now after having crutches and a cam-walker for all that time.
    Did any of you experience dryness on your foot around the area of where they operated? If so did you and what type of cream did you use?
    I don't want to use any moisturiser incase it irritates the area they cut open!
     
  10. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I had surgery 5 weeks ago, here is my story.

    Surgery was fine, you do not need to be completely knocked out. I went the route of an epidural (what they give delivering moms) and something that put me to sleep. Tends to be an easier recovery than being completely knocked out. The only downside was after the surgery I woke up with a very full bladder, but because the epidural had not entirely worn off, it was difficult for me to go to the bathroom. It was a painful 30 minutes or so

    First day or two actually was not very painful, but the 2 weeks following were very painful. You have to keep it elevated as much as possible. Whenever I had to get up, there was a VERY sharp pain in the foot, it felt like a bolt of electricity was going to explode my foot. But as long as the foot was elevated, the pain was minimal.

    I am still on crutches, although getting closer to being able to walk without. Over the past week is the first time I have been able to put some weight on it (with the boot). My doctor said often you can walk without crutches just 10 days after surgery, but everyone is different. It is less and less swollen everyday. When my foot is not elevated, it still gets red, although more pink now versus the deep reds I was getting. I assume this is still blood flowing down in the surgical area.

    I go back to the doc in 2 weeks, and hopefully I can walk by then. Overall, I have been told 3 to 4 months in total before I will be able to run again. It has been more involved than I expected and really hope I do not need to do the left foot, but ultimately, 4 months of recovery is certainly worth a lifetime of painfree
     
  11. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I will be getting my surgery next tuesday and am looking forward to no pain, but am a bit concerned with the cost of a boot :( i am 21 and have been in pain for about 9 years now. wish me the best :) I really <3ed my doctor though which is the most important thing
     
  12. Seth

    Seth Guest

    You've got quite a set of bed manners, there don't ya Mr. Sarcastic?

    You do realize that you are speaking to people who have absolutely no knowledge of what they are asking questions about, right? Why offer your advice with a side of vitriol?
     
  13. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Why be such a wanker Seth? The guy said that he's glad he was put out because the surgery was painful so how did he know genius and wheres the sarcasm and vitriol?
     
  14. Seth

    Seth Guest

    "Why be such a wanker"

    I don't think what I said was "wanker-like" at all...If you've read other posts of his earlier in other threads he (not always, but often) is quite sarcastic unnecessarily. I don't see why a Doctor would have to be so rude to people who are looking for help and/or giving their story that could possibly help someone else.

    I don't really understand what you are calling me a wanker for, or if you even know who it is that I was speaking to in my post.
     
  15. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Obviously you think that the part that I quoted was something that i actually said...and it is not. The only thing that I said is in reference to what FOOT DOC said, which is quoted in my post.
     
  16. What questions should I ask?

    My daughter, who is extrememly athletic, is getting an MRI for this issue next week. We will be getting second and third opinions before anyone cuts into her foot, but I would like to come up with a list of questions to ask.

    1. It seems that everyone's recovery time will be different based on the involvement of the tendons on the bone that will be removed (at least that is my guess from what I have read). I am hoping that the MRI will give us a better estimation of time before weight and then time before actually playing.

    2. How do you determine the best doctor to do this? She has seen an orthopedic and is now seeing a podiatrist. What questions can I ask or where can I get information that will help me with this decision.

    3. For those of you that have had the surgery...what did you wish you had known. Were there any surprises?

    4. For the doc...what info would you recommend a mother ask?

    I am sure this is a surgery that is done every day but this is my daughter and I have been reading some really scarry stuff. I also believe that we have tried all of the alternatives (orthodics, supportive shoes, exercises and now ankle braces). Anybody have something else that I can look in to?
     
  17. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    concerned mom

    One more thing...
    How many of you wish that you had not had the surgery? If you do wish that you had not had it, what would you have done instead?
     
  18. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    - Research the credential of the doctor and ascertain that he/she is board certified
    - Some States have public databases where one can check about sanctions brought against doctor and their history of malpractice actions
    - It is more likely that doctors who have privileges at prestigious hospitals are better qualified
    - Have the doctor explain the procedure, its success/failure rate in his/her hands, the common side effects and potential complication . . all in clear terms which you can understand.
    - Ask the doctor how many such procedures he/she has performed, how often and what the results were.
    - Ask the doctor what in his/her experience, the healing time has been and what the aftercare period typically entails.
    - Don't be swayed only by personality. It is not a substitute for surgical skill.
     
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2010
  19. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    I've just found out that I have an accessory navicular, and it's been causing a lot of pain when I walk for the past six months or so. I'm in a boot right now and for the next four weeks, and my doc told me that surgery may be an option if it doesn't work. I'm just wondering if it would be a good idea to opt for the surgery before spending a lot of time and money trying various other methods of relieving the pain. I have three young children at home and an extremely tight budget, and I'm worried that I'll try the boot and physical therapy and still have to have the surgery after spending all that time and money.

    Does anyone know roughly what % of people with this end up needing the surgery, and how many recover well without?
     
  20. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    It is a case by case thing and depends on the particulars and the severity of the problem.
     
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