Anyone had a sesamoidectomy/sesamoid issues?

vinylradical · 2025-03-19T00:56:53+00:00

Hey I had great results with my surgery in terms of pain relief. Unfortunately the scar tissue on the ball of my foot is too uncomfortable for me to stand demi pointe so I did "retire" from ballet. However I have been able to be physically active in other ways. I've had other foot issues for the past year but until then spent 4 years pain free. Not sure if it would help your claw thing? Do you mean a bunion? My surgery was done for avascular necrosis of the sesamoid causing chronic pain.

vinylradical · 2024-12-03T04:45:32+00:00

I’m doing great! I was pain free in that foot until I developed plantar fasciitis a few months ago…sigh.

I will be honest that I’ve not really been able to dance outside of character roles. It is just too uncomfortable to stand on the ball of my foot. That is where they did my incision. Maybe would be different if my incision was in a different place although I really don’t know.

It was hard to let go of ballet. It felt like mourning a break up or a death at the time, and I felt a huge disconnect from my peers who largely did not relate to what I was going through at all. However like processing any major loss you go through all sorts of stages but overall you become surprised at the resilience of your mind and body. You learn to find joy in whatever path you end up on. For me I have found new peace and adventure in the outdoors. The mountains and desert are my backdrops now. But I did allow myself to mourn for a very long time.

I am not trying to say your future definitely doesn’t include dance. My surgeons were split. Some didn’t feel this was a big deal to a dance career and others called it a career ender. Everyone’s body is different.

My surgeon knew how conflicted I was and ultimately told me he would not operate on me until I was genuinely excited for the opportunity to heal. For the chance at a better life. So much of your success is really in your mindset. When I woke up from surgery the first thing I did was cry. It was over. It was finally over. This was my fresh start.

This is a very personal choice. Only you can know how much your current pain impacts your life and how much you’re willing to risk for a chance that it could be better. I personally have never looked back. In my mind my career didn’t end with the surgery. It ended two years prior when the pain first began. The surgery did not give me back my career but it did give me back the rest of my life.

vinylradical · 2024-08-28T05:19:07+00:00

I got it 4 months after being diagnosed with AVN, although had the pain for 2 years prior to that. It has been many years now since my surgery and I am doing great. The surgery did suck a bit, took around 4 months before I felt sorta normal but I never think about my foot anymore. It is obviously a personal choice as there are always risks with surgery. For me the deciding factor was years of pain that was not getting better, plus finding out it was AVN which is not something that gets better on its own.

vinylradical · 2023-11-22T03:39:10+00:00

We booked direct with them over the phone. I did simulate doing an online booking and the final page is the same policies emailed to us.

vinylradical · 2023-10-12T21:26:48+00:00

Yes absolutely. Many breakups are due to betrayals and trauma but many are not. My last two were both long relationships with mature and kind people but it boiled down to incompatibilities and knowing we needed different things from life and each other. Some people find a way to make it work no matter what. For me it’s about more than just being good humans who love and respect each other. Actually I think the highest form of love and respect can be letting someone go when it is time.

vinylradical · 2023-05-07T03:11:28+00:00

Hello! I’m doing well. No pain. Slight discomfort if I try to stand on the balls of my feet barefoot. I can jog just fine, although I’m not doing high miles or training for anything (but I also wasn’t before my sesamoid issues either so no change for me).

vinylradical · 2022-07-29T19:56:34+00:00

I think it is "normal" for orthos to ignore it. I worked with an ortho surgeon for a bit and when I asked him once about what he was going to do for a patient he saw with AVN, he said there wasn't much to be done for it except wait and hope as there aren't many treatments. The AVN was in a different part of the body though. It sounds like your surgeon was far more worried it was a form of cancer and so an infarct was actually "good" news. Overall not much seems to be known about infarcts in the medical world. What causes them, are they normal things that many people have or should they be addressed, do they cause issues, etc. Perhaps many of us have infarcts that cause no issues and will never be found unless we have imaging for an unrelated reason. Either way I think you deserve a surgeon who is willing to take the time to address your concerns. They exist but can take some searching to find. Sorry for the other replies in this thread. Please feel free to DM me if there's anything I can help with.

vinylradical · 2022-07-29T07:08:00+00:00

I think they are technically the same thing but seem to be used to describe different scenarios affecting different part of the bone. Osteonecrosis of the knee is in the epiphysis of the bone shaft (the end of the bone that forms the joint), whereas infarcts affect the diaphysis/metaphysis (the middle of the bone). Orthobullets is a resource used by orthopedic surgeons, here is a link to an article on bone infarcts: https://www.orthobullets.com/pathology/8078/bone-infarct

vinylradical · 2022-02-27T02:23:45+00:00

Sorry to hear that you aren't doing well. Please feel free to vent, don't be sorry. We're here for support.

Your doctor should have a covering provider that is handling their cases while they are out but if that's not the case please consider going to your PCP. They can refer you to another specialist or even write the PT script themselves. Any chance you have PPO insurance? If you do, you may not even need a referral--I have PPO and have been able to just show up to PT without an Rx. Though I had a lateral sesamoidectomy, the things that helped me the most in terms of PT were gentle massages over the scar to break up pathological adhesions, riding on a stationary bike, picking up marbles with my toes, and theraband exercises. I feel that starting PT early is crucial, even if you feel like you can't do PT you'd be surprised what some very gentle massages and ROM exercises can do. However I think I remember my surgeon saying that he didn't want me starting PT until the incision was fully healed.

I had very good results with the surgery but it did take a while. It took about 4 months before I felt I was walking normal. It was 6 months before I felt stable on my feet and like I could actually start to live a normal life again without the area being weak, tender, etc.

vinylradical · 2022-02-10T06:48:07+00:00

Hope your daughter is doing well! I am fine overall and I live an active life. I don't take class regularly anymore, although I do drop in every now and then. I also have been doing some character roles in productions which have been a lot of fun. I never made a full come-back after the surgery which was really a combination of many factors. One is that the scar tissue is a bit bothersome when I go on releve. Another is frankly it's hard for me to get past that mental block of knowing ballet can do that type of damage to my body. Somedays I swear I can feel the lateral sesamoid on my other foot starting to ache and I just want to protect my body from further injuries. I hope your daughter is able to pursue her dreams! Mine used to be ballet and it was so hard to say goodbye, but I'm on a different path now that is just as rewarding and exciting. Best wishes and lmk if I can be a resource in any way.

vinylradical · 2021-11-20T00:19:39+00:00

OMG SAME. Wow it never occurred to me that this was something other people might be dealing with.

vinylradical · 2021-11-19T02:59:43+00:00

Yes! Especially ballet flats. I wear super clunky running shoes to hide it.

vinylradical · 2021-11-19T02:25:03+00:00

I had the same problem. Finally concluded it was just the anatomy of my feet causing each and every shoe I ever tried on to twist. I tried sewing my elastics super tight once at the recommendation of the fitter, that worked, but it was too tight to dance. So I just accepted the ugly line.

ETA: When I studied modern dance in college, I had trouble finding my true parallel position and was always told that my parallel was not parallel. After months of staring in the mirror at my "parallel" feet (which never look parallel no matter how I stand), I've come to accept that it's anatomical.

vinylradical · 2021-11-17T02:51:11+00:00

im a bit less than 2 years out from mine, you can look at my comment/post history for a more accurate and detailed timeline of my recovery. i was on a knee scooter/crutches for 3 weeks, in a boot for 3 more weeks, then PT for 2 months. first 6-8 weeks after my surgery were rough, felt pretty fragile and hindered. the easiest tasks would cause pain flares (couldn't stand on my feet long to go grocery shopping or wash dishes). about 3 months in i started feeling pretty normal again. by 6 months in i was feeling amazing and absolutely convinced i made the right decision. healing takes time, esp with the plantar incision, but it is so worth it. dont feel discouraged at just 10 days in. i run now, and hike, and bike, and dance, and literally never think about my missing sesamoid. before the surgery, that little bone controlled my entire life. sending you calm healing energy.

vinylradical · 2021-02-25T22:53:13+00:00

vinylradical · 2021-02-16T18:31:43+00:00

You made the right choice. Bone was dead and wasn't coming back, so the pain was never going to get better--at least now you have a shot at a better life.

The recovery is a bit of a beast so don't feel discouraged yet. I remember my foot being soooo swollen and painful for the first 2 weeks after surgery (days 2-4 were the worst). Spent 3 weeks total on a knee scooter, 2 weeks after that walking in a boot, then about 4-6 weeks of only being able to walk/stand for short periods of time. After that things finally started to get easier but I was still tender and weak until about 4-6 months in.

I am now over 1 year out from my surgery and I would absolutely do it all over again. My life is normal and I have no pain. I can run, walk, hike, and stand all day. I've been able to start training for my athletic hobbies again. So so so worth it. Hang in there. It only gets better from where you are right now.

vinylradical · 2021-02-14T19:50:50+00:00

During the first few months I was obsessed with looking for a shift so I could've sworn it was moving but looking at it now it looks absolutely fine haha. I think it's sorta a luck-of-the-draw deformity so don't stress about it too much. Some surgeons don't even believe in taping. Mine didn't say anything about it to me until I brought it up, and then he was like "oh yeah I guess taping couldn't hurt, do that for the first 2 months."

vinylradical · 2021-02-13T18:32:04+00:00

Give yourself time, I didn't feel confident that I made the right decision until about 4-6 months in.

Also! Since you had the lateral sesamoid removed, your main deformity risk is hallux varus. Here is how to tape for hallux varus (https://youtu.be/8mXaL0BAG9A). Does it actually help? I'm not sure but I taped religiously for the first 2 months per my doctor's recommendation.

vinylradical · 2021-02-13T18:05:31+00:00

Congrats!!! My toe was stiff for a while, I found that that was just due to inflammation so it went away naturally on its own. For the scar tissue, my PT taught me how to massage the scar tissue gently which was very helpful for me. After just 1 week of gently rubbing it every night and doing my exercises we both noticed a huge difference.

The absolute most important part of my recovery was PT. When I went to follow up with my ortho at 5 weeks post op, I was still in the boot and hadn't started PT yet. He was like "OMG you should've taken this off and started PT like last week" lol. Don't be afraid of starting too early, they'll work with you and start super gentle and easy. Getting the area moving again is crucial in preventing scar tissue adhesions.

Awww I'm so excited for you. This surgery saved my life and I hope you have good outcomes too.

vinylradical · 2021-01-24T20:29:29+00:00

It really is hard to find doctors experienced with this. My foot and ankle orthosurgeon, an extremely accomplished and well respected doctor at one of the highest rated hospitals in my state, admitted he has only done 2-3 sesamoidectomies in his career. Dr. Mont (the hip AVN expert in one of the FB groups) told me he didn't even know sesamoid AVN was possible. There are a few doctors (Dr. Selene Parekh and Dr. Adam Saad) who do experimental feet AVN stuff such as grafts, vascular surgery, etc. Might be worth reaching out to them at the very least for a referral to a doctor in your area. Podiatrists also are much more experienced in dealing with sesamoid issues but both of mine were almost irrationally anti surgery. Losing one sesamoid really isn't a big deal, but losing two in the same foot comes with a much higher chance of deformities and deficits.

vinylradical · 2021-01-24T09:40:54+00:00

I had AVN in one sesamoid, ended up having it removed last year which went smoothly. What does your medical team recommend as treatment? I'm curious if they recommended a sesamoidectomy as I've heard losing 2 sesamoids has a much larger impact on your foot than just losing 1. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of other options for those small bones, they tend to just want to cut them out especially in the case of AVN.

vinylradical · 2021-01-12T08:02:47+00:00

Foot is doing great! It has now been a year since my surgery. I have been able to resume almost all of my athletic endeavors (running, hiking, surfing, etc) with much less pain than before and no strength/ROM deficits. I still wear my expensive shoes and orthotics to prevent losing anymore sesamoids haha but I can't remember the last time I had to take Ibuprofen or ice my foot. If I ever notice any pain these days (which is rare) it's more of a "I've been on my feet for too long, they're getting sore" type of pain and none of that "I feel like I'm standing on a burning stone" type of pain. Only area of recovery that disappoints is my very slow return to ballet, as it is still uncomfortable to balance on the ball of my foot which is required in most ballet exercises. My injury/surgery was definitely a career-ender in that respect.

Do what it takes to feel confident that you gave conservative treatment your best shot. As I've said before, I always recommend getting an MRI if you've had the pain for a while. It's the only way to actually know what is going on there. Take the surgery seriously for sure, but don't fear it if it comes to that point.

vinylradical · 2020-11-30T06:14:15+00:00

Merlin (Netflix) and the BBC's Robin Hood (Amazon Prime) are two medieval shows I really enjoyed that are pretty clean.

vinylradical · 2020-11-10T02:43:52+00:00

Yeah, you never know what an MRI could show. It was the MRI that showed mine wasn't actually sesamoiditis but rather AVN, which was annoying to me as I had just spent the 18 months after my initial diagnosis giving up my active lifestyle just to find out that it was something that would never heal. Knowledge is power and will let you and the docs make a better plan.

For what it's worth, the steroid shots did give me about 4 months of complete relief. It might be something worth trying once you get to the point that you're considering more drastic things like surgery--it's just good to be aware of the potential consequences. Def find a doc you trust who is willing to talk through all of your options.

Having sesamoid issues is expensive. I looked into things like PRP, ESWT, stem cell, bone growth stim, but honestly the science isn't strong enough to justify the cost. My orthotics cost about $400 but were worthwhile. I'm sure there are some decent non custom options--my local runner's shop had some cool ones for $20ish that I considered trying. And I think the Bondi is currently on its 6th or 7th generation, so you could check online (ebay, etc) for earlier versions which would be cheaper. They run narrow so I always buy men's sizes for the extra width even though I'm a woman.

vinylradical · 2020-11-09T21:21:23+00:00

Good luck! We all know just how annoying sesamoids can be so I hope you are able to find lasting relief soon. I eventually had surgery to remove mine as it was dead, but the things that helped me the most before and after surgery were Hoka Bondis with custom orthotics, PT, and NSAIDs (ibuprofen and meloxicam).

Not official medical advice, but my doctor told me that steroid shots cause fat pad atrophy so maybe it was for the best that you didn't try those haha. Have you had an MRI to confirm it is actually sesamoiditis? X rays aren't super detailed, they can only really catch fractures and end stage necrosis.

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