Has anyone else had continuing pain after a big toe fusion?

TrishaW

Hi Everyone,
I know i've asked about this problem before but it's now almoast 1 year since I had a fusion of my big toe and I still have pain.
Infact it seems to have got worse recently and makes walking increasingly difficult (despite walking extrememly slowly and wearing rocker bottom trainers). In combination with arthritis in both ankles I'm at my wits end.
Has anyone else experienced this?
My surgeon suggests removing the metalwork to see if that helps, but as the toe hasn't fully fused I'm anxious about this (plus I had mild complex regional pain syndrome after the fusion op so am anxious about further surgery) It all seems a bit trial and error to me.
I really don't want another op and have just been hoping the healing has been delayed and things will improve, but now it feels to be actually getting worse.
I'd be so grateful for other people's experiences/advice etc.....I just don't know what to do and it's really getting me down. I've even had to take ill health retirement (I was a specialist nurse) over this (on top of my other arthritis issues, this was the last straw)
Sorry -I'm just feeling a bit sorry for myself
Thank you
Trisha

stickywicket

No wonder you're 'feeling a bit sorry for yourself'. You expected the op to work well and, so far at least, it hasn't. I'm sorry I've no words of wisdom. All my own fusions are DIY jobs :roll: presumably x-rays are showing no reason for the pain. How quickly are things supposed to fuse? A year sounds quite long enough to a rank amateur such as myself. It sounds to me as if your only options are to either put up with things or have further surgery, if only to find out what's (not?) going on. I hope some other 'toe fusion' people will be able to throw more light on it.