If you've been dealing with the pain and discomfort of bunions for many years, then you may be looking forward to your bunion surgery. Once you're healed, you should be able to finally wear normal shoes again and walk without pain. However, there will be a recovery period after your surgery during which you'll need to stay off your feet and focus on healing. These tips will help you make it through that recovery with as few complications as possible.
Don't disturb the dressing.
When you return home after surgery, your foot will be in a special bandage. The bandage will be positioned in such a way as to hold your big toe in the proper position as it heals. If you disturb the bandage or try to re-apply it in the wrong way, you may cause your bunion to recur or your incision to heal improperly. So, only touch or remove the dressing if told to by your doctor. Usually, your doctor will have you return to the office and have the bandage changed every few days for a week or two -- and then you'll be shown exactly how to do this on your own.
Keep your foot elevated.
Swelling is a major concern whenever you have surgery on a foot, since blood already tends to pool in the feet. It's important to keep your foot elevated as much as possible as you heal, as this will encourage the extra fluid to drain out of the foot tissues and back into circulation. Try to elevate your foot above the level of your heart for best results. Keeping the inflammation at bay will help speed up healing and will also keep you more comfortable so you don't have to rely as heavily on pain killers.
Don't try to walk too quickly.
As you begin to heal and your doctor observes your healing process, he or she will tell you specifically when you're permitted to return to weight-bearing activities. Do not try to push yourself to walk sooner than your doctor recommends. You may dislodge the stitches, or even worse, dislodge the repaired bone and cause the bunion to come back. If your doctor has told you that walking is okay -- but you feel a lot of pain or discomfort when walking -- have him or her look over your foot before you continue walking to ensure you have not done any damage.
Talk with a doctor like Richard Moy DPY INC for more advice.
