While we are at it, anyone lives with an amputated big toe?
Need infos.
Thanks.
Anyone had one of those? I have questions and need answers before to make a decision.
Your question's slipping down the list a bit so I'll 'bump' it for you!
My mother-in-law has a big toe fused many years ago; the joint was damaged due to gout (something she always denied having as she was lifelong teetotaler and insisted that only alcoholics got gout)!
She had nothing but trouble with it, the surgeon had used metal pins to fix the bones together and area around one became infected... that pin eventually worked loose and had to be removed. I think she had three operations in the end and the results were ugly to say the least. Although that was over twenty years ago, and methods have hopefully moved on since then.
I'm no doctor, but considering a big toe is essential for walking and balance, amputation would be an extreme last resort unless it really did mean a worsening of health and quality of life if it was not removed.
You should be taking advice from medical practitioners and basing life-changing decisions on their advice, not people from English forum!
A friend of mine had to have her big toe amputated. She now has quite serious balance problems, particularly when the ground is uneven or slippery.
Surely it wouldn't be too complicated to get a device that was in effect an artificial big toe? After all, they had the same thing 3000 years ago in ancient egypt! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...cs-worked.html
I'm bumping this up as I'm still dealing with this dilemma even after speaking with surgeon.
Any one in here who had the experience?
I lost half a big toe to a lawn mower (young and stupid). Very minor balance problems -according to the surgeon it is loss of the ball joint that is a bigger issue, but I have no idea what effect fusing the toes does
One last hope to find someone who had it done before I go under the knife.
Doesn't the surgeon have a single ex-patient who would be prepared to say how he/she is coping?
Paraplegics do this all the time to new patients.
Yes, I would ask the surgeon too, and your GP (family doctor).
However, we are all different. Same with my knee replacement, some recover quickly, others take more time- one old lady in my village never did- but then she didn't do any physio after . It all depends on your age, fitness, personal and family history- and also how much time and hard work you are prepared to put in with physio, working in warm water, etc, etc. My recovery was longer than most because of long term atrophy of tendons and muscles around the knee- due to said knee being permanently bent for last few years, and a 2.5 shortening of the leg. On the other hand, in the circumstances, surgeon and physio were amazed at my progress because I work so hard at physio and lots and lots of swimming and work in water. I've regained complete extension (oh the pain!) and about 110 to 115 on a good day - and hopefully will achieve 120 over the course of next few months.
Bonnes chance - becs (the Jura/Neuch word for 'bises').
I assume you already googled, but just in case:
http://seeking-savasana.blogspot.ch/...y-results.html
Fusion is the future!
You might be able to power your laptop with it or something.
Thanks everyone.
I did a lot of research, went throw blogs, Medical papers, pictures, videos, etc. I still hoping to have someone I could chat with on here who had it done.
I guess I'll be the one to report my experience in my own thread.
I think this is called Hallux. When caught early on, a child can wear a brace to correct it over time. Otherwise, there is surgery to shave some off, or live with it.
My daughter was said to have it, but she's still fine today.
Hubbie had his second toe fused as a teenager, no real problems except that he has found the end of the toe gets bruised when he cross country skis.
Hallux is merely the Latin word for the 'big toe'. Varied problems occur with it ...hallux valgus, hallux rigidus...
With all due respect, I think there are two other points worth mentioning. Folk who are active, love being active, need to be active, and to whom being exhausted after activity is a positive feeling, find it easier to keep up with exercises which could enable them to get back to the life they led earlier than those for whom sweating is a negative from the word go. And then there is an element of luck. I know several folk with two artificial knees and each one of them says that the results, pain, rapidity of recovery etc were very different. With some the first went better, with others the second.
All the best Nil.
Agree totally with you- so many aspects and factors to consider was exactly what I was saying.
The point I tried to make, is that asking 1 or 2 people about their experience may not in any way reflect how your body will react in all the many ways mentionned, including the 'luck' element.
The surgeon did warn me that I would HAVE TO work very hard afterwards- or that it would not work. He expalined that he can do his bit- but I'd just have to do mine, and more ... the replacement would just open the way for me to achieve the rest. I feel so sad for the older lady near me who says she was crippled by the operation- and realise it is hard for an older person to motivate themselves and go through all that pain. Very sad she was not better advised and supported.
My husband had the joint by the nail fused 1.4.2016. Had no pain at all, joint still a bit swollen but going down slowly. Difficult to wear proper shoes for a long period of time. Has problems walking barefoot due to a funny sensation( he says) under toe pad.this is prob due to bone growth around the pin that goes in thru the joint to stabilise it.
Had to wear special shoe for 6 weeks or would have had to be non weight bearing with crutches.
He can now go running again with no problems, uses trainers with memory foam insole.
Would he do it again ?? Jury's out on that one. Would need to reassess again in maybe 3 months.
I worked for many years as a podiatrist for the NHS.
These are patient information leaflets given to patients treated in the UK..depending which joint you are having fused.
http://www.scpod.org/_resources/asse...ll/0/20307.doc
http://www.scpod.org/_resources/asse...ll/0/20312.doc
For the MP joint, there is also this option..