Rehabilitation after Morton's neuroma surgery

The operation to remove Morton's neuroma is not difficult. General anesthesia is not used. Enough local anesthesia. Despite the absence of difficulties during the surgical intervention, the observance of restorative measures is required, which makes it possible to exclude postoperative complications.

General recommendations

Features of rehabilitation after removal of Morton's neuroma are determined taking into account on which side of the foot the incision was made to access the neoplasm. If this is the back side, in the postoperative period it is required to wear special shoes with a hard sole for 7-14 days. As soon as the edema has subsided and the surgical suture has healed, you can gradually switch to conventional models.

If the incision was made from the side of the sole, the same special shoes are prescribed, but with unloading of the front of the foot until the postoperative wound is completely healed.

Other recommendations to follow after surgery include:

• compliance with the rules of hygiene and care of the postoperative suture;
• the use of cold compresses to eliminate puffiness;
• taking antibacterial agents in case of secondary infection.

If the wound hurts, you can take painkillers. To reduce the severity of edema and pain, physiotherapy is often prescribed.

The duration of rehabilitation after surgery for Morton's neuroma is 4-8 weeks.

Early period after the intervention

In the first 2 days, you will have to walk only with the help of crutches, without stepping on the support with the operated foot. After this time, you can gradually put a load on the foot, but only if there is no severe pain and swelling.

For 2 weeks, a person needs to wear a special bandage. During this period, it is recommended to lie with a slightly raised limb, placing a roller of clothes or several pillows under it. In the first 2 weeks, walks along the street are prohibited: a home regimen is recommended.

To reduce the risk of secondary infections, the operated foot should be kept dry. The air in the living room should also not be too dry, however, excess humidity also adversely affects the condition of the wound. While taking a shower, a sealed bag is put on the limb.

To prevent venous thrombosis, you do not need to lead a sedentary lifestyle. Although heavy loads on the foot are contraindicated for the operated person, it is still necessary to regularly perform simple movements with the ankle joint and feet.

For the prevention of stagnant processes in the veins and blood vessels, the normalization of the drinking regimen is required. If this problem could not be avoided, drugs from the group of anticoagulants are prescribed.

After 2 weeks, if the state of health allows (there is no pain and swelling), you can go outside, take short walks. You also need to wear orthopedic shoes, giving the limb a horizontal position.

As for driving a motor vehicle, it is allowed only when the neuroma on the left foot is removed and the car has an automatic transmission. If a neoplasm was removed on the right foot, you should take a break from driving for 8 weeks after the intervention.

As soon as the postoperative wound has completely healed, activities are prescribed to help reduce the sensitivity of the scar. In this case, you can massage using a special cream that is rubbed into the scar and into the surrounding area.

In the early recovery period after the removal of Morton's neuroma, exercise therapy is carried out, aimed at returning the mobility of the small fingers. These can be simple exercises: raising your fingers up and down, circular movements, etc. The complex of physiotherapy exercises is prescribed by a doctor.

Late period after the intervention

Six weeks after surgical removal of Morton's neuroma, swelling and internal bruising should be absent, but slight swelling may be present for another 3-4 months. If the condition of the wound is normal, it is allowed to wear ordinary shoes, but with hard soles.

To speed up the elimination of edema, you can use folk remedies. For example, foot baths with the addition of herbal decoctions or infusions will be effective. You can use pharmacy chamomile, mint, juniper. The duration of the bath is up to 5 minutes.

To reduce the intensity of edema, you can make compresses from potatoes: grate the tuber, squeeze out the juice a little, then apply the gruel to the postoperative wound. The top is fixed with cellophane and wrapped with a towel. Maintain the compress for 20 minutes.

Conclusion

To exclude complications, strict adherence to the rules of the postoperative period prescribed by the attending physician is required. This will not only speed up the recovery of the operated area, but also prevent dangerous consequences, including the addition of secondary infections.