Post-Operative Care after Bunion Surgery: A Patient's Own Experience

The following is a patient’s experience and point of view after Dr. Keith Sklar recently performed the innovative Swiss Compression Technique for bunion correction on both the right foot and left foot. While the effects of surgery vary from person to person, this is a typical example experience of our patients who opt for bunion correction at Foot First:

I came to Foot First Podiatry Center, A Foot & Ankle Center, with noticeable, painful bunions on both of my feet. Six years prior, when my bunions were already visible, I went to see a different podiatrist who told me that my bunions looked worse than they were due to the narrowness of my feet. Heeding his medical advice, I ignored my bunions and went on with life. It didn't take long for my bunions to only get worse and, moreover, start to hurt. When the pain became unbearable, I researched for a new podiatrist and discovered Dr. Sklar and his Swiss Compression Technique for bunion removal. The idea of being able to walk on my feet directly from surgery, get back to work quickly, and not have to deal with any casts or crutches intrigued me. I had only heard of long, drawn out recovery periods from family and friends who previously had bunion surgeries, and so I was dreading having to go through the process myself. 

Well, from my very first visit, the Foot First staff immediately made me feel at ease with my anxieties. Dr. Sklar and the Foot First nurses patiently answered every single one of my questions.  Dr. Sklar inquired about my medical history and health habits (I told him I'd want to be able to perform all exercises I currently do at the gym), he thoroughly inspected my feet and, based on my deformed conditions, offered his advice for bunion surgery. He gave me a detailed account of the Swiss technique that he would use to remove my bunions, and assured me that not only would I be able to walk out of surgery and return to work within a matter of days, I would be able to perform my exercises again once my bones healed. Additionally, I wouldn't have to wait months in-between the right and left foot surgeries like I first thought. Because of the weight-bearing bone cut that Dr. Sklar uses, I'd only have to wait weeks in-between. Happily, I left that first consultation with a completely different perspective on bunion removal - I knew I made the right decision to have the surgeries I put off for so long. 

My surgery days were truly as pleasant as surgeries could possibly be! The surgeries were performed on site, conveniently at the Foot First Center where my pre and post-op visits are located. There was no hospital stay whatsoever, I was able to comfortably wear my own clothing and have my Beats headphones playing calm music (even though I only remember hearing parts of the first and last song, it was still nice to be allowed to do that). The personable anesthesiologist provided "twilight" sedation for my completely pain-free experience; I found out that he has been working with Dr. Sklar for thirty years, and that only added to my comfort level. 

For those of you contemplating bunion surgery or researching like I did before I decided to choose Dr. Sklar as my podiatrist, here are some more outcomes from my surgeries:

• IMMEDIATE WEIGHT-BEARING: I walked out of both of my own surgeries with a small surgical shoe. Dr. Sklar told me I’d be tired and sleep for a little while when I got home from surgery but that I could get up, move and do small household chores once I woke up. I was able to do laundry and cook a small meal later that afternoon.
• RETURN TO WORK: I had each surgery on a Thursday and returned to work that following Monday. I sat down when I needed to but was able to perform all normal work activities. I am a teacher and on my feet a lot during the day - the surgeries did not disrupt my work performance.
• BACK IN SHOES: I wore the Darco surgical sandal given to me by Foot First for a little over a week, and was released to my own pair of gym shoes at 10 days. This surgical sandal was not too cumbersome. I was able to wear all of the pants I usually wear to work.
• MINIMAL INCISION: The incision Dr. Sklar made for my Swiss Compression bunion correction is at the inner side of my foot, completely invisible from the top of the foot. Stitches were minimal and removed during my two-week post-op visit. The incision is visibly fading as each month progresses. As of this writing, I am four months out of my first surgery and three months out of my second - I can already wear summer sandals or go barefoot at the pool without the scars being noticable
• MINIMAL PAIN: I personally had NO pain - immediately after or during the weeks that followed, for either surgery. I was also able to wiggle my toes, do ankle circles and other basic movements immediately after surgery.
• MEDICATION: I took the prescribed antibiotics for 10 days with no side effects. I never used or needed the pain medication offered to me.
• BRIEF INTERIM BETWEEN LEFT AND RIGHT FOOT SURGERIES: If you need to have both the right and left foot corrected, the doctors at Foot First recommend waiting at least three weeks in-between surgeries. I had my surgeries five weeks apart with no complications.
• PERSONALIZED POST-OPERATIVE CARE: At Foot First, you get the genuine care you need after surgery. Everyone from the doctors, the nurses and the receptionists know me by name – it’s small but significant details such as that that make the difference.
  • Questions answered – Foot First called me the afternoon of my surgery to check in on my status – I completely appreciated the time and care. Additionally, I’ve called the office on a few occasions with my own questions and receive a call back from Dr. Sklar well within the hour.
  • Surgical pictures & video - Dr. Sklar shared pictures and videos of my surgical procedure so that I knew exactly what was done to correct my feet and so that I could, in turn, visualize and promote healing.
  • Skin care –As a bonus to my surgery results, the skin on the bottom of my feet has never been healthier or softer. The callouses are gone! Not only did the Foot First nurses carefully apply lotion to my post-surgical bandages worn the first 10 days, they also offered recommendations of best quality brands to purchase. This really added to my foot health.
  • Exercise – As a runner himself, Dr. Sklar offers patients a suggested timeline of what exercise to return to, how often and when. I was back in the gym with modified weight training at three weeks, and was running again at eight weeks post-surgery.

Please know that this is my own experience, and I realize everyone is different. But as a future potential patient, know that you will receive the best possible care for your feet if you choose to visit any of the doctors at Foot First. Whether you think you may need bunion surgery, or have another foot ailment, every staff member at Foot First is sincere, personable and approachable. I never thought having my bunions corrected would be as painless and pleasant as a process as it's been. If I had known of Foot First and their use of the Swiss Compression Bunion Technique before, I would have visited Foot First much sooner.

While each of the above points is from one patient’s experience, and surgeries vary from person to person, having bunion correction performed at Foot First using the Swiss Compression technique will leave you with optimal results you can see and feel. Our innovative surgical bone cuts allow for optimal function while our minimal incisions allow for optimal aesthetics. Take the first step - call 847-352-9221 to set up a consultation at Foot First!