Getting Help With My Feet

Bunion surgery is a big step. However, the operation is only the beginning of the process. How well you tackle your recovery will have a long-term impact on the overall benefit of the procedure. Whether you or a loved one plans to have bunion surgery in the near future, it's critical you prepare for your recovery. Here are some tips to set you on the right path. 

Proper Bandage Care

Pay particular attention to the condition of your bandage. Your incision dressing plays a dual role after surgery. On the surface, the dressing keeps the incision area clean, which is critical to lowering your risk of infection. However, the dressing also keeps your toes in the correct positioning for proper healing by ensuring there is not too much pressure put on your toes or foot. 

You should not adjust or remove the bandage unless you have specific instructions from your physician to do so. If your dressing feels uncomfortable, you want to contact your doctor right away to make an appointment to have the bandage adjusted. 

Always Elevate

Keep your foot elevated as much as you can while you're in recovery. Raising your foot helps to reduce swelling, and it can keep blood from rushing to your foot. Reduced swelling can help reduce your healing time but can also reduce the amount of pain you experience. 

When elevating your foot, ensure you have proper support for your knee area to prevent straining the muscles behind your knee, which can lead to greater discomfort. You should also ensure you elevate your foot high enough. Typically, you want to have your foot lifted around the same height as your groin area. 

Progress Slowly

If you decided to have bunion surgery, you likely made the decision because you were dealing with a great deal of discomfort. Bunion surgery is a way to eliminate your pain, but if you don't allow your body to heal correctly, you will only face greater distress. 

For this reason, it's imperative that you progress slowly and ease into walking again. Your provider will provide you with a pair of crutches or another assistive device to help you ease towards walking and other activities that require you to put pressure on your foot. 

Your medical provider will be able to answer specific questions about your surgical procedure, so don't hesitate to prepare a list of questions and concerns and address them with your surgeon before your operation.