Morton’s neuroma surgery is carried out to treat Morton’s neuroma, where the nerve is squashed or trapped between the ends of the metatarsal bones in the foot, causing it to gradually enlarge.
Usually a day case procedure, surgery is carried out under a general anaesthetic with an injection in the foot to numb it after surgery. The surgeon makes a tiny incision (cut) on the top of the foot between the toes over the painful neuroma. The neuroma is then carefully removed.
Immediately after surgery:
During the first few weeks:
Follow-up appointments:
Everyone is different, so healing and post-operative programmes vary from person to person. However, the schedule of follow-up appointments below is typical:
Your surgeon will be able to advise you about the type of footwear you should use and how quickly you will recover. Below is a guide to what may be advised:
During the first two weeks it’s important to keep the bandaging/foot totally dry although you will be able to shower with a waterproof cover over the foot. After two weeks you can shower without the cover if the wound is healed, but gently dab it dry.
Once the bandage is removed, don’t pull at your scabs, let them fall away naturally. If your wound becomes red, swollen or sore you should contact the Fortius Clinic and arrange to see your consultant to check you don’t have an infection.
Your physiotherapist will guide you through the stages of rehabilitation including toe mobilisation exercises, swelling reduction and reducing muscle tightness.
The DVLA states it’s the responsibility of the driver to ensure they are always in control of the vehicle. A good guide is if you can stamp down hard with the foot during an emergency stop and this will usually take at least four to six weeks. Although your specialist will advise you about when it’s safe to start driving again, it remains your responsibility to drive safely and you should also check with your vehicle insurer to confirm you are covered.
This depends on the type of work you do and how quickly you recover. As a general guide, if your job involves sitting down for most of the time, you should be able to return to work after two weeks; if it involves manual work, you may need to have up to six weeks off.
Below is a guide to the risks of this type of surgery. However, your surgeon will discuss these with you before your procedure, and answer any questions you may have:
Infection: The chance of infection is around 1% and can usually be treated with antibiotics. Serious problems caused by infection are very rare and can be treated
Recurrence of the neuroma: Unfortunately 10-30% of patients still experience symptoms. If this is the case then further treatment such as injections or further surgery (successful in 60-70% of cases) can be discussed
Toe stiffness: The toe can remain a little stiff but usually recovers over the course of rehabilitation and physiotherapy can help with this
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): You may be given blood-thinning medication after the surgery if you are at a higher risk of DVT (where a blood clot forms in a deep vein in the leg). However, DVT is fairly unusual (less than 3% of cases) after this type of surgery
Important:This information is only a guideline to help you understand your treatment and what to expect. Everyone is different and your rehabilitation may be quicker or slower than other people’s. Please contact us for advice if you’re worried about any aspect of your health or recovery