Foot Surgery

On March 21st I had a dorsiflexion osteotomy of the first metatarsal on my right foot. They basically cut a wedge out of the bone in my foot that leads to the big toe. By cutting out the wedge and re-joining the bone it should decrease the severity of my arch and by doing so should get rid of all of the problems that I was having.

The problems started about two years ago when I had started training to do mini triathalons. I was running and biking a lot, and as a result, I had some severe foot pains. I found out that the cause of the pain was because fluid was accumulating in my toe joints along with sesamoiditis with periostitis (just like shin splints, but in the foot). Although these were the symptoms I had, the real underlying cause was because of my “pes cavus” foot type (a congenital foot deformity of extremely high arches in the feet). The doctor said that, simply because of the shape of my foot, it was a matter of time until I was going to be experiencing difficulties with my feet and that my feet were never meant to run and that I should switch to low impact activities permanently.

I went to see a podiatrist and then a foot & ankle orthopedic specialist, and after two years of trying orthodics and stretching and no running, there was little improvement with my foot pain. We decided surgery was not only the best option for me, but also the only “permanent” option. With non-surgical treatments I could be back in pain after any trigger.

Right now, I am completely non-weight bearing on my right foot for 6-8 weeks, which means I am on crutches. I am getting my splint off on April 13th and will be in a removable boot, which should help me sleep better at night. I should be off the crutches in time for my graduation! Pain was fairly severe the first two weeks following my surgery but has subsided and I am doing well.

3 days post-op

I went in 3 days after surgery because the resident doctor who assisted my surgeon put the splint on incorrectly. My foot was not in a neutral position so I had some numbness from my knee down. It was extremely painful, but after getting the new splint, everything was A-OK.

3 weeks post-op
This sore on my heel has been the root of most of my pain the last week and a half. It's hard to describe, but the pain was excruciating. The splint didn't move much and as a result, I got this sore. I am now in a removable splint and it is healing and I am not hurting so much anymore.

Stitches are out! Now with the removable cast, I can wash my leg and shave!! :)