A Foot and Ankle Specialists Foot Surgery Experience (Part 2)

A Foot and Ankle Specialists Foot Surgery Experience (Part 2)

If you have read my previous blog, or subscribe to me on YouTube, you know that I have had foot surgery. Twice.

My previous blog was about my first surgical experience. In this blog, I will be sharing my second surgical experience.

First, you need to know that I have allergies. I feel like my body hates everything and anything foreign. That includes nickel. I do have a severe nickel allergy and cannot wear jewelry that contains it.

My first surgery was a bunion correction. During bunion surgery, you have hardware placed in your surgical site that helps keep everything stable while your bones heal. This hardware can have nickel in it.

My surgeon was aware that I had a nickel allergy and used titanium hardware instead. However, this hardware can still have small amounts of nickel in it.

I also have dyshidrotic eczema. This means when my eczema flares up, I get eczema break outs on my hands and feet. For the first few years after surgery, my eczema was doing well. However, about 2 years after surgery, I noticed that my skin on my left foot was getting eczema flare up right under where my screws were. At the time, it was manageable with topical medication. So, I would just deal with it when and if it happened. At first, it was not that often at all. However, over time my flare ups became more frequent and were spreading as well. I knew that to calm down my eczema I needed to have my hardware removed.

By the time the flare ups got to this point, I was in residency. Taking time off during residency can be very difficult. However, I was able to find some time in order to get my hardware removed and recover.

This time around, I was very well aware of what surgery entailed and I knew more than details about the surgical process than the average patient! I don’t know if having this information made the process more or less stressful.

I finally had my hardware removed. The recovery process was much easier this time, because not as much work was done. The only drawback was that I had to go back to work before my foot was ready, so I dealt with some pain and swelling longer than I had to.

After this surgery, my eczema flare ups have improved, but are still present.

If you have questions about foot or ankle surgery, or need to have foot or ankle surgery call 847-380-3700 to schedule an appointment today!