Haglund’s Deformity anyone?
I have been diagnosed with Haglund’s Deformity in both feet since 2007. I was first diagnosed with Achilles Tendonitis in 2004 that never really went away. After seeing an orthopedic Dr in 2007 I was advised not to have surgery because of the long recovery time and my Dr did not feel it was severe enough. The symptoms I have been having are pain and stiffness along my Achilles Tendon that restricts my ability to push off when taking a step. Also when waking up in the morning and after any sort of activity, the pain and stiffness is much worse. Of course this is a very short version of the last 7 years
Recently I have seen a new orthopedic Dr that is a foot and ankle specialist. At the first appointment he confirmed the diagnosis of Haglund’s by looking at X Rays and said that surgery is recommended. His concern was that the X Ray showed what looked like calcification or ossification of the Achilles Tendon. I had an MRI after the appointment and now tomorrow I have my follow up to determine what is needed surgically. There is the possibility he might have to pull some of the tendon that is responsible for flexing my big toe to repair the Achilles.
I was wondering if anyone else has had this type of surgery and if you had any advice for me or any information that you found helpful.
October 4th, 2011 at 11:33 am
I had the surgery in October of 2009, 2 years ago.
I was injured in 2007, and gradually got worse and worse.
I had a dud of a podiatrist who never diagnosed me properly.
Not until April/May of 2009, after getting a second opinion from my old podiatrist did I hear I had Haglunds Deformity.
Feel free to read my blog, http://onetwothreebeyond.blogspot.com
You have to go way back to October 2009.
I would ask if the pulling of the other tendon can be avoided, can they use a cadaver muscle instead?
You are going to have 2 different “injuries” after surgery.
The bone removal and in order to get to that they will cut your Achilles.
Recovery is going to be hard work, no lie, and you have to be willing to do it.
I wasn’t very diligent at times, and I don’t believe my long recovery and re-tear are typical.
The really really good news?
I was without pain from the bone growth rather fast.
I couldn’t tolerate the sheets at some point before surgery, go figure.
Hang in there, you’ll done fine!
October 4th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
I recently had a surgery for a Achilles Rupture and had a large bone spur removed. It looked very similar to a haglund’s Deformity. I had been dealing with the bone spur for 10 years and it was at the point where i was cutting the back of shoes as it hurt so much.
I am 11 weeks post surgery and I can say it seems much better so far. I can rest my heel on a table (no pain), but it certainly is no small matter to have the surgery. I am just starting to walk in 2 shoes. However, I will say the 11 years I dealt with this pain will be happily forgotten when I am fully receovered and back to doing those things (running and Tennis) that i had to give up becuase of the bone spur.
All the best and this blog is a great asset…I think you will find time fly’s quickly and you’ll be back to good health before you know it.
Pete
October 9th, 2011 at 9:15 am
I just had surgery 2 weeks ago. I had insertional tendinosis with haglunds deformity. Going into the surgery I was told there was a good possibility he would need to harvest a tendon from my big toe also. This did not need to be done ultimately and I was very pleased about that. It’s too early to tell right now how things are but I know I was sick of the pain and limping associated with it. Im 52 and i figured i dont want to spend the rest of my life suffering daily. It feels pretty good most of the time so far. I have high hopes of a full recovery. Good luck to you.
Mary
October 9th, 2011 at 9:59 am
I had my Haglund’s removed in Dec 2010. Concurrent with that, my AT was also operated on for the second time in three years. The recovery was no different from the first time when I had a bone spur which required detaching and reattaching the AT. It’s not fun as it recovers rather slowly but it will get better. I was 69 when I had mine and have no restrictions on my activities. I have to admit that I still feel as if I have a constant low grade ankle sprain all the time but I tolerate it well. Hopefully you will have no complications and you shouldn’t as long as you follow your doctor’s and PT’s orders.
October 9th, 2011 at 10:02 am
Welcome to the club we’d all rather not belong to
I’m about your age (56) so can appreciate what recovery will be like at our middl’in years. I tore my AT playing tennis so reasons for surgery are different than yours; had surgery around the same time, Sept 27. This is a great site for advice and support, best takeaway I’ve gotten so far is don’t push recovery! Good luck and stay positive.
October 11th, 2011 at 10:32 am
I had surgery on my R heal in February of 2002 at age 49. As most of the others have said, I to suffered for most of my adult life with a constant pain thinking it was tendonitis. I used to get regular cortisone injections until I finally saw an Orthopedic specialist. The surgery was done outpatient. The recovery is longer than the Ortho tells you. When I confronted him on this he said ” If I told you a year would you have had the surgery”. Well he was right. I would have put it off. The recovery and PT were brutal however the out come was great. Walking and running without pain, being able to get up after a long flight and simply walk off the plane without having to prepare, great.
The reason I’m writing…I have to have my L done. I’m 58 and surf every day but walking to and from the parking lot to the water is tricky. I go in for my initial Dr consult today. I will post again after my second surgery.
You will feel better and get back to things you have missed doing. All the best!
October 16th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
Same story, after years of pain and wearing backless heals (I’m a woman so it was easy) for six years, finally had the surgeries. I had the right foot done March 2011, and had the left foot done 3 weeks ago (Sept 2011). On the right foot I was NWB for 7 weeks, PWB for two weeks and in a walking boot for 4 weeks. After this, my right foot was GREAT, it’s been 7 months since my right surgery and I can wear any shoe. My left foot has not been so easy, because of the foot hanging off the table a nerve on the top of my foot was compressed by the edge of the table, Dr. says 99% of the time it fixes itself, the tendon area appears to be healing at the same rate has the right foot. Not sure what happens if the nerve does not heal itself, causes the top of my foot to feel like it is 3rd degree burned and have shooting pains in my first 3 toes, nothing can touch it without severe pain.
The surgery is totally worth it though, I am still surprised at how good my right foot feels. Because I wore backless shoes for the last 6 years, I would sometimes it the bone on something and it was VERY painful, now if I hit it there is NO pain.
October 16th, 2011 at 7:28 pm
One thing I forgot to mention. Used it with both surgeries - Get a Knee Walker. The knee walker is awesome and allowed me to do everything, a little more effort and a little more time, but allowed me to stand up with both hands free (with the brakes on - LOL).
September 22nd, 2012 at 11:22 am
I am a 59 year old runner (50m week) and a surfer. I have had the pain in my heals for years and just put up with it. But this year it got to the point where I almost couldn’t walk. I had the left foot done 10 days ago so I have all the fun of rehab in front of me. We have the right one planned for November this year if my left is healed enough.
The knee walker is a wonderful thing, well actually I am using my mother’s regular wheeled walker but they are the basically the same thing.
I am having some nerve pain on the top of my foot mainly when I straighten the leg. I will ask the surgeon about when I see him Tuesday.
Anyway, I will post again in November when I get the right one done.
September 26th, 2012 at 2:44 am
I resemble those remarks. Live to love and love to surf. Missed a whole summer. Have been back to running at 8 months and hang in there. Time has gone fast for me and closing in on 1 year
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:49 am
Hi guys my name is richard and I like many of you suffered for years with constant pain. Had good periods between the bad but the pain always eventually came back. I tried all the home remidies with minimal luck and always eventaully returning to limping every morning after I did too much which at times was next to nothing. Over the 7 years I had a few doctors look at it some good and some a disgrace to their profession. No names but I guess there good and bad in all professions.
Lucky for me I found what I believe is a really good surgeon who explained and discussed the whole thing through.
So now I am just 7 days post op where he detached part of my AT to access and remove my huglands bump and smooth the rest od the area. I am in a half cast below knee with NWB to next appoinment 2 weeks after op. hopefully then into a boot to keep on getting better.
Had some pain for a few days but nothing really bad, have had worst pre op in scheme of things. I hope that is a really good sign of things to come.
Surgeon still maintained after op that should be able to be walking in about 6 weeks without a boot. I guess only time will tell. Shall try and keep all posted of my progress weekly or so.
Happy to discuss anything with anyone about this as I understand how long and annoying this problem is to get on top of. I always believed it would just get better by itself and it was not until reading this and other blogs that I realised that we have been kidding ourselves and putting up with pain that I need not have.
December 2nd, 2012 at 9:15 am
Good luck to you on your recovery. My surgery was 11/9, and I am anxiously awaiting my boot ( in a cast until Thursday). First few days are a bit rough for some, and very rough for others, it appears. Hope you are doing well, and taking it easy for now. It’s really good that you are taking on your chronic pain!
December 5th, 2012 at 8:21 pm
Hello again. I just got home from the hospital after the second surgery. So much fun I had to do it again..LOL
Here is how the first one went…
9/12 - Had the surgery on left foot- In cast NWB
10/17 - Out of cast and into Das Boot and into rehab as well.
Rehab MWF for 1 hour at office and 2 hours daily at home. Followed the directions to the letter. No over rehabing. Note - to this point the pain has been minimal for the most part, by the end of the day I needed a pill but not always.
11/1- out of boot and cleared to walk/jog as directed.
11/4 - Vacation in San Diego and Vegas for a week each. Was able to do all the walking required to see all the sights with wife and another couple. A lot of walking. Found that walking slow or standing really hurt but walking at my normal pace was OK. By 7pm daily I was ready for the first pain pill of the day.
11/20 to 11/30 - at the Gym every other day. Walk/jog on treadmill for 30 minutes (5min rotation at 4.25mph walking and 6mph jogging). Left ankle was real stiff to begin with and I was shuffling during the jogging parts but by the end I was able to stride normally. I also did 30 min of stationary bike everyday.
And now I am back at NWB on the right foot day 1. If this one goes as well as the first then by mid to late February I should be back in the gym.
God luck to everyone and I will post again if something out of the ordinary happens or when I get back in the gym.
December 7th, 2012 at 8:07 pm
oldandway slow thanks for the reply and how did you go with getting a boot or you now WB? Hope all goes well and you don’t get too much pain with rehab.
Jack really good to get your time line of how your first ankle went gave me a real good insight of what is ahead. Hope you can acheive same time line for this new ankle.
I see my surgeon on Tuesday to get stitches out etc. That will be 2 weeks and 1 day post op. Not sure what his plan re a boot and WB are but I got the impression that he was keen for a boot come tuesday if all goes well.
Don’t know why but the ankle was a little tender the last 24hrs. and had to take a pain killer. As my leg is only in a half cast and leg is wasting away bandage etc. now a little loose maybe that has caused the pain through some movement? Amazing how quick my leg has wasted away with now movement. Hope it comes back that quick, but I believe rehab is twice as long coiming back to normal. Has anyone else heard similar?
Any changes shall keep posting for those interested and for anyone that is in the same position or considering an operation in the future.
January 15th, 2013 at 8:36 pm
Well, I am back again. Amazingly, this one has gone better than the first. Doctor (George Tellam, Jacksonville, Fl) said there was not as much damage to the Achilles as the left foot.
Here is how the second one went…
12/5 - Had the surgery on right foot- In cast NWB
12/28 - Out of cast and into Das Boot and into rehab as well.
Back into rehab MWF for 1 hour at office and 2 hours daily at home. Followed the directions to the letter. No over rehabing. Note - to this point the pain has been minimal, rarely need pain pills.
1/11- out of boot and cleared to walk/jog as directed.
I still have 2 weeks of rehab so I am not going to start jogging again until done with rehab.
I can’t tell you how good it feels not to be in pain with every step. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
January 30th, 2013 at 7:05 am
I am a Portuguese girl and I’m 26 years and the disease was detected Haglund on Monday. It was the first time he gave me this strong pain in the foot and could not walk. Horrible. Now I’m doing the treatment, but the pain will come back again?
I’m afraid to do the surgery because they say that recovery is very painful; (.. I’m panicking.
Thank you.
February 23rd, 2013 at 9:36 pm
Hi again guys sorry for taking so long but where does the time go.
thought I would give you a full date by date following of how it all went like Jack a has because this gives a realy good time line for those enquiring or contemplating the operation.
After many years of trying various non surgical treatments bit bullet and had operation.
26th Nov. 12 - had operation removed part AT and scapped clean heel as required. In half case below knee. NWB and was lucky enough to have minimal pain. pain for one or two days after op and then a week later for one day for some reason but not as bad as pre op.
11th Dec 12 into moon boot and NWB limited rehab in ankle movement type excersises and rubbing scar tissue with bio oil.
15th Jan 13 still in moon boot but able to wb (partical on crutches)for next two weeks. Started physio wlking in pool and pool execises to reduce weight on akle. Went really well with exception of a few days where I got some swelling. My best friend has been the old bag of frozen peas I ice with. Progressed from chest high water to knee deep over coming month or so. Also did and still doing some strengthing exercises with rubber bandsetc. No real pain just need to maintain rest days and not doing too much. but getting better daily.
mid Jan started wb without boot for short periods around home. All good but still suffering some days of swelling. pool walking and physio excersises 2-3 times daily. no real pain.
12th Feb 13. pretty much out of boot full time and wlking around. some pool walking still and ankle quite stiff and becomes sore if walking too much. But pushing through and getting better daily. minimal swelling and stretching getting much better.
Silvia if the pain has just started best to try the various other treats for getting it right first. Have heard of many people getting over it with non surgery methods. try them first.
March 23rd, 2013 at 7:41 pm
Hi to all,
Well now out of boot and walking pretty much unrestricted. Doing 40 minutes on the treadmill most days and no pain. Still a little discomfort with shoes on on scar but rapidly reducing. Ha
d a short light jog the other day and all good just will take my time and increase slowly.
Surgeon happy witheverything and no need to see him barring a mishap.
Physio aiming at ankle movemnets now as still a bit stiff and clunky and need to stretch tendon more.
Overall going better than I ever expected. Hope everyone elses is going well.
Richard
October 25th, 2013 at 4:18 pm
Hi All, I am due for an operation on the 31st . If they do use the tendon which is used for the flexibility for your toe, hoe does this affect the movement of your toe or your balance? What is rehab like? When will I be able to cycle, swim or walk? Any other exercises when you were in the cast? How long do you have to keep the leg raised and when will I be able to return to work?
Thinus
October 25th, 2013 at 5:01 pm
Thinus…
I had surgery on 8/14 to reattach my achilles to the heel. They did use my big toe tendon as well. You will be able to move your toe up and down, but not bend. So far, I have not noticed any balance issues. I was working out at the gym doing just upper body and a little core about 5 days after surgery, although that did upset my wife. Swimming can’t start until your incision heals completely. Mine healed in about 3 weeks. Elevating your leg will ease some of the swelling. Trust me, when sitting, you will want to elevate your leg. That is probably the worst of the pain, but honestly on a scale of 1-10, my pain level probably never crossed a 6. As far as a timeline, surgery took place 8/14, into a cast on 8/16, cast and stitches removed on 8/26 and then into walking boot still on crutches. Physical therapy started on 9/13. Weight bearing and walking allowed on 10/4 in the boot. I am expecting him to allow me into shoes at my upcoming 10/31 appt. I was “down” for about 1 week. I am lucky in that it was my left achilles so I was able to drive to work. I do find walking without the boot to be challenging because my calf has atrophied and is weak….
Good luck with your surgery. I’m sure it will be succesful!
October 25th, 2013 at 7:07 pm
I had FHL (big toe tendon) to replace my shredding Achilles on April 23. I started deep water aerobics at 4 months. Lots of heel raises!! Started back to yoga this week and realized that the sole of my foot is incredibly stiff so down dog is currently impossible. The heel is pretty flexible and painless, but the sole feels like a marionette. Good luck and keep up the hard work.
October 26th, 2013 at 1:17 am
Steve, thanks for the information. The planning is as follow - op 10/31, cast 11/7 for 6 weeks, to be removed by 12/18 :-(! Were you on crutches until 10/4 and how did you manage at work? Luckily also my left achilles. Good luck with your next app. I’ll keep you posted about my progress.
October 28th, 2013 at 6:21 pm
Hi Thin…
Unfortunately, yes I was on crutches until 10/4. My surgeon was concerned about the sutures tearing. He was a bit conservative. My therapy is also on the conservative side. As far as work, I am also lucky that I can work out of my home. I did find myself going to the office for a few hours every day just to get out of the house.
Good luck Thursday!
October 31st, 2013 at 11:57 pm
Hi Steve, how did the appointment go? I had the surgery, remove some of the bone on my heel, but no achillies reconstruction :-). At this stage no pain.. .
November 2nd, 2013 at 3:34 am
The first day at home was painful, didn’t had a good night’s sleep. Must be the local anesthetic that wears off.Although the pain wasn’t that bad, it was enough to drink pain pills every four hours. After 6 hours at home, boredom set in. Getting tired of lying on my back. If my foot hangs down it’s very sore. Hopefully it will improvement within the next day or two.
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:50 am
Wondering of those of you who had the surgery… Did you go to a Podiatrist or an Orthopedist? I am concerned with it’s possible involvement with the Achilles, perhaps an Ortho would be better suited? Thoughts?
January 2nd, 2014 at 2:17 pm
These labels are used differently in different countries or regions. Might help to say where you are. U.S.?
January 2nd, 2014 at 8:36 pm
Jenna,
In the U.S. both Podiatric surgeons and Ortho surgeons can specialize in foot and complex ankle problems. I sought three surgical opinions: two from Otho surgeons and one from a Podiatric surgeon. I chose the Podiatric surgeon because he was using a more modern (and proven) protocol for recovery and because I could tell he would spend more time with me after the surgery. (My surgery was 10 weeks ago, I’ve seen him 5 times since). Bottom line: I don’t think one is necessarily better than the other. Seek recommendations from others and only seek opinions from surgeons who specialize in the foot and ankle. Ask about their recovery protocols and compare them with the ones mentioned on this site, i.e. Exeter and UWO. I perused this site extensively before seeking opinions and had a great list of questions for the surgeons when I went.
January 12th, 2014 at 12:51 am
Hi everyone. Just wanted to leave an update since I haven’t logged on in a while. First, it is good to hear that so many of you are doing well in your recoveries. It’s been over two years since my first surgery. Recovery has not gone as well as I hoped. My left foot, which was operated on second, is doing great. The surgery was a Haglund’s excision with Achilles Tendon dibridement, no tendon transfer. The first surgery involved basically the same plus a tendon transfer from the FHL tendon in my left foot. My right foot is now very stiff. I only have 5-6 degrees of dorsiflexion in my right foot but a normal 15-16 degrees in my left.
The stiffness is not in my Achilles but in the top of my foot. When I try to flex upwards (dorsiflex) it feels like there are bones in the top of my foot that are limiting it. Even my physical therapist was at a loss, trying to flex it by leaning on with her weight with no improvement. It just won’t flex anymore. It didn’t start off this way but it happened after about 3-4 months post-op.
With all of that said, my only regret is that I didn’t have the surgery earlier. I’m definitely better now than before surgery. I don’t have constant pain in my Achilles. If I had the surgery earlier, it wouldn’t have been so extensive and probably wouldn’t have had the tendon transfer.
Some things I learned and would advise (if you care to hear) are to find a GREAT doctor. I looked for a orthopedist certified as a foot and ankle specialist and drove an hour to see him. His practice is the best in the area for hours (Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas). Also, a knee walker will be a life saver. You might can find one used on Craigslist or Ebay. Use it while you need to and then sell it, you can get about the same as a new one for a used one in good condition.
Good luck to everyone.
April 18th, 2014 at 12:22 pm
Hey Folks,
I’ve been dealing with pain in both of my ach tendons for over 15 years. I’m 40yo and (was) very active. I’ve seen about 6 ortho/foot surgeons, done PT, taken months off of all physical activities to “rest”, had cortisone shots to the sides of the tendons and even paid $600 to have some eletric machine shock the insertion point to create trama and have the body “heal” itself. No luck. So I met w/ the team Dr. for the NY Giants and he said removing the tendon and grinding down the bone spurs on each foot along with removing calcification was my only option. 8 months recovery for each foot! The 2 things I heard were…8 months and calcification. At that I begain another search for nonevasive proceedures. And as I sit here today I’m writing with my foot up in the air with ice around it…2 days post removal of a 1″ long bone spur from my left foot and the calcium removed from my right foot (20 minute proceedure)- 2 weeks ago. This was all done onder local and a nerve block. The proceedure is called Tenex- look it up. The bone spur removal was something similar but more manual and took 2 hours. Dr. Shiple in Springfield, PA performed both proceedures. I highly recommend! I’m looking for a speedy recovery on my left foot. My right is all but healed (enough for me to be using it while I crutch around the house). Good Luck!
Mike
May 11th, 2014 at 2:44 pm
I’m in my early 50s and have been having Achilles and heel pain for about 3 years. I have had “complicated” feet due to an accident in 2007 and toe surgery in 2012. I’ve had extensive physio and NSAI treatment, eventually went for investigation and diagnosis last year established I have a Haglund’s deformity and large Achilles bone spur. The only options I have for treatment are surgical - to remove the Haglund’s and the bone spur. This will involve detaching my Achilles tendon. I’m not looking forward to this and was offered the surgery last week and declined, I’m going back to the consultant, who is a foot and ankle specialist who my physio says gets good results. I’m hoping to make contact with others in the UK who are having or have had this surgery and get some pointers as to what to expect and what I can do to get a good outcome for myself.
I’m overweight, just beginning the menopause and have very well managed T2. I’m usually in good health and very active (pain and stiffness permitting).
Anyone else out there had surgery under similar circumstances? Anyone else in the UK?
Thanks for this blog, it is really helpful to read through other people’s experiences and find out about how you recovered.
June 18th, 2014 at 8:28 pm
Hi All!
Im 18 and i had surgery on Mon 9th June so just over a week ago. I had it on my L foot and things are okay odd pain. I reacted bad to the painkillers so i have gone without but all is well.
Im just worryed about what is in store for me for the rest of the recovery.
if anyone has any info or wouldnt mind chatting with me then drop me a email:
Zoewallace12@outlook.com
Appreciated
June 28th, 2014 at 3:02 pm
Hi Zoe, where are you and what did you have done? I’m probably having my op in about a month. I’m hoping to have my surgery with a spinal anaesthetic and in the longer term, I’m looking forward to ditching a lot of painkillers.
September 29th, 2014 at 4:09 pm
Hi,
I have been diagnosed with Haglund’s Deformity on both legs. The symptoms are stiffness of the tendon and heal in the mornings. pain during uphill walking/hiking and pain after playing tennis. I play a lot of tennis and I never used to stretch before playing. Probably the cause for the deformity. I play Tennis regularly and I love it. My fear is will I be able to play tennis after recovery?
I have gone through MRI on both legs and am waiting on the results. But the x-ray confirmed that it was Haglund’s deformity. I am a bit worried about the detaching the tendon and reattaching and its recovery time.
Here are my questions
How soon were you guys able to walk?
Did you do both legs at the same time?
Can you play tennis again?
Did the bone growth associated with this re-occur?
I know I am asking too many questions. I appreciate your help.
December 27th, 2014 at 2:23 am
I had haglund’s deformity surgery 14 years ago. I was pain free post surgery within 3-5 months, however was never able to play tennis without pain or wear shoes with backs without pain. Now i have recently seen the same Doctor who said that my bone grew back with force, it ’s bigger than before? I am facing a possible second surgery and wondered has anyone else had the surgery more than once. If so, what type of doctor did you go to and did you get a second opinion? What hope is there for the bone growing back again and having surgeries every 10- years as I age this is a major concern. I have been going to physical therapy now twice a week and going in the past 10 years when the swelling gets out of hand. Please let me know if you have had a similar experience.
thanks for your help and insight.
swollen in Boulder, CO
March 12th, 2015 at 8:47 am
Hi to all, Long time since I Posted anything as been very busy doing everything I had to slow down with over years pre operation.
My surgery was November 2012 as in my past posts but now can report me right ankle/Achilles is as good as it has ever been. nil pain discomfort or restrictions. Are currently training for a 100 km trail walk and doing on average 50 + kms per week. No issues to date touch wood.
the whole ankle was stiff and slower to free up than I expected over the time 2 years + post op. but after I really started pushing it walking heaps and now running jogging smaller distances, everything has loosen up really well and it as good as can ever remember. I delayed surgery for years and now wish I had done it sooner than later but that’s the way I saw it at the time. It has taken some work to get wear I am now but cannot see why anyone given sufficient time to recover cannot be back doing whatever they really want to do post op. It will just take time. Hopefully everyone gets the save success I have experienced. Happy to answer any questions, but cannot guarantee I will check blog as often as I would like as I am usually out walking somewhere enjoying me returned freedom.
March 17th, 2015 at 8:35 pm
I’m looking for some reassurance post Haglund’s. I had Haglund’s surgery on Feb. 4th, was in cast until March 4th, then given a boot. However, on Tuesday 10th March I fell at home on to foot I had surgery on before I put boot on & stretched the back of my leg, painful is an understatement, I honestly thought I’d ripped wound open & I don’t want to experience anything like it again! Went straight to hospital where, because the area was swollen & too sore to touch, they put a back slab cast on & arranged appointment to see surgeon on Monday 16th. Having seen him, he said AT feels ok but wants me to have an MRI of wound site to ensure no AT damage. Ironic thing was the letter for my 1st physiotherapy session arrived the day after I fell! My question is this: Even before this fall I’ was very anxious/scared to put any real weight on foot due to severe calf muscle wastage after a month in cast, & fear of AT snapping, & want to hear if anyone else is/has experienced similar feelings?
March 17th, 2015 at 11:37 pm
hello folks,
Has anyone tried TENEX and how did it work out for you?
I was diagnosed with bone spur in the back heel and microraptures in the achiless tendon on the calcaneous (insertional tendonitis I assume). Doctor said that achiless needs to be detached, spur removed and reattached.
I heard of TENEX ( a less intrusive and fast recovery surgery), but I don’t know if it is too good to be true.
Has anyone had experience with it and if yes, can you please share your experience? Have you been able to get back to sports (bball, soccer, etc.)? Thanks in advance!!!
March 18th, 2015 at 11:00 am
Chris….you said: “Even before this fall I’ was very anxious/scared to put any real weight on foot due to severe calf muscle wastage after a month in cast, & fear of AT snapping, & want to hear if anyone else is/has experienced similar feelings?”
If you read these blogs you’ll see lots of fear like that…talking about it here seems to help…to know you are not alone. I’d suggest emailing Dennis (read the main page on how to start a blog) to start your own blog so you can interact better with the community. Best of luck to you!
March 18th, 2015 at 11:07 am
Hi Art…if you put the word “Tenex” into the search box on THE MAIN PAGE you’ll get a list of links to any blogs that mention it, I checked and there are a few. Did a quick google search as I’d never heard of it (never had tendon issues before my ATR) and it sounds too good to be true. I’d need good evidence-scientific data-studies on it- to try it myself…but that’s me.
March 19th, 2015 at 12:26 pm
Thanks for the reply Donna, good to know others out there are experiencing similarities to me. I thought I was just being overly careful, but back of leg below knee is really tight when I try put stockinged/bare foot to the floor & stand straight, & with nearly another week before I have MRI to discover any AT damage after fall it’ll mean almost 2 months after surgery before starting any physio! Surgeon reckons I’ll be “fit” for him to sign off on as of April 1st, 8 weeks after surgery, even though by then I may have had no physio whatsoever. We’ll see!
April 27th, 2015 at 8:37 pm
I was right about not being fit by April 1st! It’s April 28th, I’m now almost 12 weeks post Haglund’s Surgery, (Feb. 4th), & because of fall I had on foot on 10th March & waiting for appointments for MRI etc….. I only started rehab on April 16th. Surgeon thought I may need more surgery as I looked to have damaged AT in fall, it looked to have pulled away from anchors he reattached it to my heel with after surgery, but now he thinks it may just be scar tissue, will know more when I see him on 11th May. I’m walking without crutches or a boot around 2 weeks now, had a major limp but now have noticed a big improvement since starting rehab. Tendon still feels a little tight, but just a slight limp now, & I’m also doing some exercises myself at home on stairs & using resistance bands. Physiotherapist is pleased with my progress but says I won’t be, or should not consider playing football (Soccer) for at least 6-8 months until full range of movement is restored in my leg, so long way to go!
January 22nd, 2016 at 2:47 pm
I have been dealing with Achilles Tendenosis with Haglunds for many years now. I have researched the tenex procedure and decided to have it a week ago. I think it’s best suited for debridement and bursa treatment but is not approved to take down bone or calcification. I think this procedure will help short term but am pessimistic about long term relief. Any thoughts?
January 23rd, 2016 at 9:20 am
Hi ralph! Im 7 weeks out from that surgery and although I’m far from back to normal I can already tell the pain from the haglunds bump is gone
January 25th, 2016 at 4:31 pm
Hey Ralph,
I know that my OS uses the tenex procedure for some cases of plantar fasciitis. I think it depends on the size and position of the haglunds deformity. If it is such that the protruding bone is itself shredding and causing damage to the Achilles , then I doubt this procedure would be very effective except for perhaps some temporary relief. My bony prominence grew very large over the years and had to be removed in order to stop doing damage to my tendon or causing it to calcify. Nothing will cause the bone to shrink short of surgery. best wishes.
January 25th, 2016 at 9:04 pm
Almost 9 months since I last posted, & still having a lot of pain & stiffness in my AT. Went through months & months of physio, inc. a lot of resistance band work at home, which helped to a degree, but even my physio could see i was having a lot of diffculty in some exercises. Standing on my right (surgery) foot & raising up off my toes was impossible, so finally in Nov. 2015 my surgeon decided I was a candidate for an FHL (Flexor Hallicus Longus) surgery to repair the damage I did to my AT when I fell at home on 10th March 2015, having had Haglund’s surgery on 4th Feb. 2015. FHL will involve using the tendon from my big toe to reinforce/repair my AT, & hopefully once & for all rid me of the pain, stiffness, & as I call it, my Charlie Chaplin waddle!
March 16th, 2016 at 10:51 pm
Have struggled with Haglunds for several yrs. All 3 docs say surgery - 2 ortho, one pod. Putting off because of length of recovery. Now Wonder if delaying makes surgical options (tenex) and recovery methods limited.
March 17th, 2016 at 1:45 pm
Nancy, have the surgery, it only gets worse the longer you wait and the longer you wait the longer the recovery risk. I had reservations too but I’m so glad I had mine. And I was in 2 shoes and discharged at 6 weeks.
I too was afraid of a very long recovery. A word of caution, we all are different and so is our recovery but I would definitely recommend it if you want to do more than just sit around the rest of your life..
May 8th, 2016 at 2:10 pm
Hi, hope you all recover quickly, my surgeon has reccomended phisio. Do you think this will work?
June 21st, 2016 at 8:43 pm
Having haggling/spur/achillies surgery 28th very nervous about recovery not as young as I used to be.
August 1st, 2016 at 5:07 pm
I have been dealing with heel pain for approximately the past two years in my left heel and then developed it on the right. I finally broke down and went to the Ortho Dr. last month and my DX is insertional Achilles tendinitis with haglund deformity bilaterally. I had some physical therapy prior to seeing him which did not help. He has recommended surgery doing debridement of Achilles insertion with removal of osteophtes and excision of hagland deformity. I’m 47 years old and just not sure I want to go thru the surgery. I’m scared to death to do it, and I’m even more scared of the recovery time and being off work that long. He didn’t paint a very pretty picture with the recovery and talked like I would be in quite a bit of pain for at least two weeks post op, but then if I could get thru that things should improve. I’m looking for anyone’s story that has had this done, what you went thru, and whether it’s worth it? I have had two small procedures(outpatient) besides having two kids in my lifetime and this just scares me. I’d love to hear your story and what you went thru.
August 2nd, 2016 at 6:23 pm
Hi Tami. I had exactly the same symptoms as you describe but just in one leg. I had surgery on 30/09/15. I was in plaster cast for ten days NWB then partial WB for a few weeks. It wasn’t too painful but the recovery process is slow with lots of physio and exercises.
I am fully active now although knee and back problems on the same side have not made it possible to go back to my beloved tennis and I don’t really run now. But I work out in the gym most days and walk a lot. I was pleased with being able to walk my farthest yet since the op of 7 miles a month ago.
My consultant had tried the non surgical route with me for three months at first and I had to wear the boot but it didn’t really do anything. I would def recommend the op mi had the Haglunds removed ( ie shaving off the spur of calcified tendonitis) and the debridement without having to detach the AT. It was very swollen for a long time. I would say it’s not 100% back to normal and may never be but as you have read I am much more active now.
Only thing is I’m pretty concerned it will return in time. I’m 58 and had never really had a lot of surgery in my life either.
October 20th, 2016 at 5:56 pm
I’m now just over 11 weeks post FHL, my 2nd Achilles surgery in 18 months! Been weaning myself off surgical boot & crutches last 3 weeks, but on surgeon’s advice using them if traveling any considerable distance for stability. I’m walking a bit steadier day by day. Over last couple of weeks I’ve lost the pronounced limp I had when out of boot, haven’t yet started physio, do so on Monday 24th Oct. Even though I’m doing what little rehab I can at home, inc. icing & keeping it elevated whenever possible my Achilles is still very tight, area is still very swollen, with major calf wastage.
November 8th, 2016 at 6:24 pm
Hi everyone! My name is Charlotte and I’ve had these huge lumps on the back of my ankles. Particularly bad on my left ankle for around 2 years now. I had a really bad flare up of pain and swelling a few months back and went to the doctors where they sent me for an x-Ray. Long story short I have Haglunds deformity!
I’ve come to ask some advice about the surgery. I’m only 16 but suffering a lot from the pain. I’ve tried various different techniques to cope with the pain but the lump is so large that it is constantly rubbing on whatever shoes I wear causing it to swell and flare up. My physio therapist also said that due to the fact that I have EXTREMLY tight Achilles’ tendons this could be making my pain worse. I was just wondering if anyone else had also struggled with that?
My query is that I understand the surgery is quite complex as I’ve been told my Achilles’ tendon would have to be removed and then replaced again. My mother is not so sure on whether the surgery is worth it but I’m in so much pain with it now I really think this is best option. As I’m only young I’m in the middle of studying which is an issue but not something that I cannot work around. I was wondering how long it took people to recover to a stage where they were able to walk even if that was in a boot?
Thank you so much for your help
November 10th, 2016 at 1:05 am
Charlotte,
On women, doctors casually refer to HD as a”pump bump”. It is in reference to the HD condition being caused by wearing too tight or stiff of women’s shoes, mainly high-heels, stiff leather-type that grind on that spot and produce the bump. It sucks you have to deal with it so soon in life. Stop wearing any shoes that irritate it. Wear open back shoes or sandals. The other thing you may have is Achilles bursitis that is cause by the same things and also can be caused by the HD. You need an MRI to diagnose it. Sometimes just addressing the bursitis will be enough to give relief. I’ve had three surgeries on the same foot to fix my HD/achilles bursitis which included the usual bone trimming and in my case, removal of the bursa sack (bursectomy). I consider myself to be fairly informed on the matter. Detaching the achilles tendon should not be necessary to fix HD. It is an older method and should be avoided if possible because it’s more invasive than the fix needs to be and recovery is waaaaay longer. Find a doctor who uses the newer and less invasive approach through the side. Don’t try to fix both feet at the same time. The recovery has been slow and painful for me, but I’m old enough to be your grandfather. At your age you will bounce back quick. Best of luck with it.
November 10th, 2016 at 3:58 am
Tiger,
Thank you for the advice! I have an MRI booked for a weeks time so that should give me a few more answers! I’ll be sure to talk to my doctor about the less invasive surgery and see what they say! Thanks again.
December 30th, 2016 at 11:15 pm
Hi
Just had the tends surgery the only pain from this was novices after that I was fine. I have haglund Deformanty in both my heels one worse then the other. I have a tendon tear that was from bone spur. Now that surgery is done I feel no discomfort and can walk better highly recommend this type of procedure.
April 29th, 2017 at 12:35 pm
It’s been 8 months since my 2nd AT surgery, Aug. 2016, I had an FHL repair job after falling following my original Haglund’s surgery in Feb. 2015 I am having trouble putting my heel to the floor if I draw my feet in close while sitting, anyone else with similar problem, or any suggestions? As I said when sitting if I draw my feet toward me my left foot is fine but when feet are in line my right heel is off the ground, surgeon said he didn’t shorten my AT!
March 20th, 2018 at 4:29 am
Hi all it’s been interesting reading some of the threads on here. So here’s my story - snapped cruciate ligament skiing in jan 2016 which was repaired in march 2016 and then when I could run again I noticed that my running style had changed. Anyway from Feb 2017 onwards I started to get pain in my achillies which eventually grew worse leading to a significant lump by April 2017. By the end of April I had stopped running altogether as the pain was too much so I sought medical advice, physio started as did 5 rounds of shockwave therapy and constant sports massage. By September 2017 nothing had eased the pain so I saw an specialist doctor for achillies - on his advice I embarked on eccentric exercises and had an X-ray and mri scan. This revealed a small tear, calcified insertional achillies tendinitis and a Haglunds deformity. After 3 months of exercises I returned and surgery was scheduled for Feb 2018. I am now just over five weeks post op. The inflamed bursa was removed as was the calcification and the achillies was left intact. I am back at the gym and swimming and turbo training. My walking is around 90% back to normal but there is still pain. The scar is still new and the calf and ankle muscles are yet to be back to how they were but I’m working hard and hoping that one day I will run again.
November 6th, 2018 at 7:42 pm
Thanks for all of your stories. I am about to get the Haglunds surgery this
Friday- orthescopic, cleaning up bone spur, bursa and Achilles. Recovery is anticipated to be slow, but hopefully no full Achilles detachment so it shouldn’t be the worst.
Has anyone recovered and returned to ski mountaineering/touring, downhill skiing and/or XC skiing? If so, how is your recovery going? How about mountain biking and climbing?? Just trying to get a good handle on time frame and expectations. Sharon, as the most recent person to undergo surgery, how is everything developing for you?
November 7th, 2018 at 5:42 am
Good luck Stacy! Make your own blog so we can follow your journey. I haven’t yet heard of anyone having the arthroscopic haglunds surgery on this site. I did read about it as I was researching. Good luck on the surgery! Remember to ice and elevate in the first several weeks! Ice behind the knee if the foot isn’t accessible.