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still in pain after Morton's neuroma surgery

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Chronic Pain
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Posted 8/1/2013 2:29 AM (GMT 0)
I had surgery to remove two neuromas from my left foot 5 months ago. The pain is worse than before the surgery. I have had no luck so far post surgery with any treatments which include cortisone shots, physical therapy, metatarsal pads, neuronton medicatin, and anti inflammatory medication. I still cant wear shoes without extreem pain, only flip flops which make it tolerable. Is there anyone out there with a similar experience (meaning having pain for several moths after the surgery) that was successful in treating the condition or that had the pain eventually go away? I have read many stories similar to mine by none with an end to the pain. I pray for a happy ending to my saga and others in my condition.
Posted 8/1/2013 3:51 AM (GMT 0)
mwb, do you know how far the doctor cut back on the nerve? When I had mine done(2 on each foot), my doctor explained that the site where he would cut would in all likelihood develop a new neuroma unless he cut further up the foot. If it wasn't, then a new neuroma would develop. I have spoken to a few people who have had their's removed 6 or 7 times. I had mine done back in 1997 and have never had any trouble since.

I am sure you do not want anymore surgery, but if you already have had all the shots and other things, you may not have other options.

Posted 8/1/2013 8:47 AM (GMT 0)
MWB, sorry I can't help with your question but wanted to welcome you to the forum and hopefully you will get some here who can offer you some advice.
Posted 8/1/2013 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks to both of you for your help and good wishes. I have no idea how far back he cut the nerve. I have read that the doctor is supposed to take the nerve endings and tuck them into the muscle. I don't know if he did that either. I am going to see him for another follow up tomorrow and I will ask him. He cut into the top of my foot and the scar is about an inch long. The surgery was done by a podiatrist. If I have another surgery I will use a orthpedic surgeon instead. Mary
Posted 8/1/2013 8:23 PM (GMT 0)
You've got something else going on besides a neuroma...probably a joint issue. Have they injected the joint with cortisone? I just had surgery for my metatarsal joint. For the longest time the doctor thought it was a neuroma...Similar pain, so look for joint issues.
Posted 8/1/2013 9:06 PM (GMT 0)

mwbfoto said...
Thanks to both of you for your help and good wishes. I have no idea how far back he cut the nerve. I have read that the doctor is supposed to take the nerve endings and tuck them into the muscle. I don't know if he did that either. I am going to see him for another follow up tomorrow and I will ask him. He cut into the top of my foot and the scar is about an inch long. The surgery was done by a podiatrist. If I have another surgery I will use a orthpedic surgeon instead. Mary

Neuroma surgery is very straightforward, I doubt it would have made a difference if a ortho or pod did the neuroma surgery.

As I pointed out, you probably have something else going on. Adjacent joint issues can have very similar symptoms.
Posted 8/1/2013 9:46 PM (GMT 0)
Ok, I will ask doc to look further into that. Thanks so much.
Posted 8/1/2013 11:30 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear of your pain issues. Either one of two things happened. Either this Podiatrist did a terrible job during surgery and really didn't cut away the nerve as he should, or as mentioned,, you have something else going on causing pain.

If the surgery was done properly, there is no way for a new neuroma to grow back that quickly. It's been known to happen after a few years, but you are saying that you had pain pretty much immediately after surgery and from then on out, correct?

I had that surgery back in 2004 and have only had a re-growth over the last year or two but it's still manageable with the correct shoes/support so am avoiding anymore surgery until it's bad enough.

When I had my surgery, I had minimal pain and was off my foot for a week then I was good to go with zero pain. The only thing I felt for years there was a numb feeling.

I would seek out a different Podiatrist.
Posted 8/2/2013 1:11 AM (GMT 0)
I did go to another one and he offered me shockwave treatments at $325 a pop out of pocket. He told me I would feel instantanious relief after each treatment. My foot hurt even more for two days. After that treatment, I researched it on line and read that you are supposed to wait 6 weeks after having a cortisone injection before starting the treatments. He noticed how bruised my foot was before he started the first shockwave treatment and asked me why it looked that way. I told him that I had a cortisone shot a few days before from the first doctor. So the next time I came in, for the second treatment (one week later), I told him about what I read and he said "oh, you are supposed to wait two weeks not six. And then, proceeded to give me another treatment. Again my foot hurt like hec for two days after and there was no overall improvement. So the following week when I was do for my third $325 treatment, I told him I couldn't pay for another treatment that wasn't working. I have since learned that in addition to having to wait six weeks after cortisone injection, that it is supposed to hurt more for a few days after the treatment and that the third one is when you usually see relief from pain. So now, I am wondering if the treatment had beed administered properly and I had been informed that it would hurt more after each session that maybe it would have worked. So $650 spend for nothing. I called the hospital for special surgery and they won't even book an appointment for me until I am 6 months post surgery, because of mal-practice issues and to make sure I gave the healing process enough time? That will be next month. So I will go there and hope for some kind of answer. I had surgery about 30 years ago for a neuroma on my other foot and it worked great, no problems at all. That doctor has since retired. Sorry for all of your pain SB and thanks for the advice and info. MWB
Posted 8/2/2013 3:03 AM (GMT 0)
Shock wave therapy for a neuroma is experimental at best from my understanding, even more so than cryo-surgery which I also had tried because we thought the issue was a neuroma. I had about 20 alcohol injections too.

I would doubt at this point there is are specific protocols for the treatment so whether it's 2 weeks or 6 weeks I would *guess* wouldn't be an issue.

How come you didn't try any alcohol injections?
Posted 8/2/2013 3:13 AM (GMT 0)
They did I had several before and after the surgery
Posted 8/2/2013 3:59 AM (GMT 0)
okay that makes sense. I've had about 20 alcohol injections and they didn't do anything either, thus my sense, that it's something else.
Posted 8/2/2013 4:18 AM (GMT 0)
I first went to a podiatrist and he did about 20 cortisone shots, way too many. All that did was numb it for a few hours then I was in the same boat. I was actually seeing my ortho for a knee issue and I said by the way..... Thank God I did as he was one who did the surgery and as I mentioned no problems. If things don't improve I think a visit to the ortho is a great idea.
Posted 1/29/2015 11:50 AM (GMT 0)
I had surgery yesterday , I have been told by the discharge nurse I can wear my own shoes after Friday , which is very different to what everyone else has said. I have got shooting pains that are very painful is this normal . Any advice from someone who has had it done please. Thank u
Posted 1/29/2015 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Joey & welcome to the chronic pain forum. Sorry to read what you are currently dealing with after your surgery.

Joey you have posted your question on an older thread & the original poster has not been active at Healing Well since the date of the original post. By posting on this older thread not many folks will see your post.

We do ask all new members to make a separate intro post so that all members will see it & be able to respond. What you have written above would be great if you can copy & paste it in an intro post.

I will lock this thread so others will not come along & post on it as we like to keep the older threads off of the main page. Thanks.
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