Bunion Surgery. Recovering from bunion surgery may take anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks. It largely depends on the type of surgery you underwent (whether a metal pin was put into your foot, how far the hallux valgus deformity had advanced, etc.). Talk to your podiatrist to get a specific estimate for recovery time. Bunion surgery is normally performed on an outpatient basis, so you'll be back at home the same day. The surgery takes about an hour. It is normally performed under ankle block anesthesia.



This means that your foot is asleep but you are awake. After the surgery, you will usually rest in the clinic for a couple of hours and then go home. Bandages are used to hold the toe in the corrected position. These post-surgical orthopedic support systems are crucial to a successful surgery. In order for the foot to heel correctly, it must be held in the proper position. Most people will use crutches or some kind of support system to get around the first couple of weeks. You should be able to drive about a week after the surgery.

Hammertoe Surgery. On average, hammertoe surgery requires about a 4 week recovery time. Your podiatrist will most likely provide you with an orthopedic shoe to wear after the surgery. Swelling will occur in the foot, so even after you no longer need the surgical shoe your regular footwear may no longer fit the foot that was operated on. Under no circumstances should you force your injured foot into your normal shoes as this will exacerbate the injury and slow the healing process. Sometimes splints are attached to the toe to hold the toe in the correct position. Crutches may be necessary to keep weight off the injured foot in the first two weeks of the recovery process.

Plantar Wart Surgery. The recovery time from this surgery should be very brief. It usually takes about a week for the dead skin to slough off, but you should be mobile long before this point. In fact, you should be able to walk out of the podiatrist's office. It is normal to experience some pain and tenderness in the ball of your foot, heel or pads of your toes (wherever your warts were removed). Light bleeding is also perfectly normal. If pain or bleeding persists, consult your podiatrist. You may also need to revisit the podiatrist for subsequent treatments as plantar warts are rarely eliminated in the course of one surgical procedure.