How Long Does It Take To Recover From Morton’s Neuroma Surgery?

How Long Does It Take To Recover From Morton’s Neuroma Surgery?

Do you have Morton’s Neuroma and decided that you want to have it surgically removed? But then there’s this nagging question about Morton’s Neuroma surgery recovery time. That’s understandable because having surgery means you will have to be on downtime for some time. But how long will it be?

Before we proceed, let me ask, is surgery your last resort?

Have you tried other more conservative treatment alternatives and none of them has worked for you?

Check out this article which highlights non-surgical effective treatment options for Morton’s Neuroma

How Is Morton’s Neuroma  Surgery Done?

I will discuss only 2 surgical methods

1. Neurectomy

This is the most common method that your surgeon will likely perform. It involves making an incision at the top of the foot where your neuroma is, and carefully removing the affected nerve. When properly done, the nerve should be removed far back so that the nerve does not get compressed any further. In some cases, a stump neuroma may form.

2. Morton’s Neuroma Nerve Decompression Surgery

With this option, the neuroma is not cut. Instead, the affected (previously compressed) intermetatarsal nerve is decompressed by dissecting with appropriate surgical tools. According to the doctors at the United States Neuropathy Centers, this method is an outpatient procedure that is much less invasive than Neurectomy.

The procedure is done in about 8 minutes. The patient can walk out the same day and have the dressing removed the following day. You can return to your normal activities within 3-4 weeks. Athletic activities can be resumed after 8 weeks. There is a reported 90% success rate with this method.

Rarely, will you have any complications. In case of any, it is recommended that you pursue other treatment alternatives. You could try other conservative methods. If they don’t help, you can have your neuroma removed.

Many doctors encourage that you consider surgery as the very last resort due to some undesirable outcomes of surgery

• Stump formation
• Infection
• Unexplained pain
• Long healing process

This short video shows how a Morton’s Neuroma Neurectomy  is normally done

Studies indicate that over 35% of patients who have had their neuroma removed surgically experience post-neurectomy pain.

It is reported that this pain may be difficult to locate. It could be the result of an incorrect diagnosis, leading to a  failed surgery, or it is a result of the neuroma stump formation.

Recovery Time After Morton’s Neuroma Surgery

Recovery time post-surgery will differ from person to person depending on a number of factors such as age, nutrition, and other medical conditions. However, the average reported recovery time for normal cases (with no complications) is expected to be 2 – 4 weeks. You can expect to get back into your shoes after 2-6 weeks after the surgery.

Is Surgery For Morton’s Neuroma successful?

This will depend on the surgeon you use, but there are more cases of successful procedures, 70% than the failed procedures (30%).

There are many cases of unsuccessful Morton’s Neuroma surgery. Some people choose to have corrective/ revision surgery because the post-surgery pain is actually worse than the pre-surgery pain.  However,  a whopping 80% of corrective surgery cases are unsuccessful.

Last week, a friend of mine was telling me that she had her Neurectomy 4 months ago (Early June 2019). She says her pain is worse post-operation than it was before, and she now regrets having surgery.

It is not all bad news about Morton’s Neuroma surgery. Some people have reported that surgery has helped them get their lives back.

There is good news for those who had undesirable results with Morton’s Neuroma surgery. The Center For Morton’s Neuroma in Massachusetts prescribes a non-surgical, minimally invasive procedure to help you if your surgery failed. You can do Ultrasound Guided Platelet Rich Plasma Injections.

Side Note: I am not at all affiliated with the Center For Morton’s Neuroma. I am only recommending them because I was impressed by the reviews they got. Also, they specialize in conservative treatments. I support this kind of treatment, and I am planning to go to the Center for my own treatment.

You can read more about how this procedure works in this article

What causes Failed Morton’s Neuroma Surgery?

• Wrong diagnosis
• Wrong surgery
• Right diagnosis and procedure but unfavorable outcomes – severe pain than before surgery, excessive swelling, infection

Is Morton’s Neuroma Surgery Painful?

The procedure itself should not be painful because your surgeon will administer anesthesia to you before the surgery. If the surgery went well, you can expect to experience some soreness when the anesthesia wears off

When Can I Go Back To Work After Morton’s Neuroma Surgery?

This will depend on the type of surgery you have opted for. If you chose the nerve decompression procedure, you can expect to get back to work almost immediately with comfortable shoes.

With neurectomy, the healing process can take much longer. This will again vary from person to person. You can expect to go back to work in about 4 weeks.

Conclusion

While Morton’s Neuroma surgery may appear like the best way to get rid of the pain once and for all, you need to weigh your options very carefully. Even doctors themselves will advise you to try out non-surgical treatments first before you decide to go under the knife.

The truth is that there are cases where surgery has worked effectively with no complications. However, there are also significant cases (30%+)  in which surgery, especially neurectomy, has not yielded desired outcomes.

So,

My advice to you, one Morton’s Neuroma sufferer to another, once you are diagnosed with this condition,  do not rush into surgery.

Here are simple techniques which may help you:

• Begin by changing your footwear.

• Limit your physical activities to those that place minimal pressure on your feet.
• Give your feet a deserved break – rest more
• Try out simple home remedies – check them out here
• If the above doesn’t work… Try conservative treatment options
• If those fail, go for conservative surgery –  nerve decompression
• If that fails, then you can do a Neurectomy
• Remember, I’m not a Doctor. These are merely suggestions, not prescriptions.

Thank you very much for reading. I hope you got the answers to your questions. Please share your experiences, ask any questions or share any thoughts in the comments section below.

I wish you a pain-free life!