My Surgery Timeline/Experience
I wanted to share my recovery because before surgery I searched Reddit constantly looking for timelines and reassurance. Everyone heals differently, but here’s how my accessory navicular/posterior tibial tendon surgery has gone so far. (I also had to have my tendon slightly reconstructed because it was frayed and flattened)
Background
I had a large Type II accessory navicular with years of pain, very flat feet, and posterior tibial tendon dysfunction. I had a modified Kidner procedure on May 1 (accessory navicular removed and posterior tibial tendon reattached with a bioabsorbable screw).
Week 0 (Surgery Week)
Splint/cast and completely non-weight bearing.
Pain was manageable with Percocet for the first few days (get anti nausea pills and take MiraLAX I literally had ZERO stomach or bathroom issues bc of this!)
Foot elevated almost constantly with ice behind the knee.
Lots of swelling, tingling, and random nerve zaps. Everything felt heavy and I could feel the blood flow down when I’d crutch to the bathroom.
Week 1
Still completely non-weight bearing.
Heel pressure from the splint was really painful.
Tingling, numbness, and burning sensations came and went.
Started noticing how quickly my calf was shrinking.
Week 2
Switched into a CAM boot (SO much better than the splint).
My surgeon had me sleep without the boot to avoid Achilles tightness.
Began wrapping my foot in an ace bandage inside the boot for compression and comfort.
Could gently rest my heel on the floor while using crutches in boot.
Bruising and swelling actually increased because I was moving more, but my surgeon said that was completely normal.
Week 3
Pain peaked for me.
Burning around the heel and ankle and a lot of stiffness.
I couldn’t believe how little ankle motion I had.
Started gentle range-of-motion exercises, which made me sore afterward and had me worried, but that turned out to be a normal part of recovery.
Week 4
Stitches came out.
I was finally allowed to let the incision get wet in the shower. I just had to let it dry completely afterward before rewrapping it with the ace bandage.
X-rays looked great and my surgeon said the tendon was healing well.
Started gentle ROM exercises several times a day.
Ankle circles were incredibly difficult at first.
Week 5
Started physical therapy.
Began towel scrunches, marble pickups, seated heel raises, TENS, and more ankle mobility work.
My calf was noticeably atrophied.
My foot would get blotchy purple, tingly, and sometimes cold during exercises, but it returned to normal after elevating it.
Week 6
Cleared to begin weight bearing in the boot.
Walking felt REALLY strange.
The pressure through my heel and inside ankle made me question whether everything was okay.
My PT reminded me that my foot hadn’t supported my body weight in weeks.
Week 7
Started gradually transitioning out of the boot for short periods while wearing an ankle brace and supportive shoes.
Continued using the boot for longer walks.
Standing still was actually more uncomfortable than walking.
My heel developed a deep bruised feeling on the inside with heel strike and prolonged standing, which my surgeon and PT felt was part of reloading the foot.
Swelling still increased by the end of the day but improved overnight.
Week 8 (Where I am now)
Walking continues to improve every week.
I’m still working on rebuilding strength and normal gait and have developed a little tendonitis in different areas of my ankle and foot as it gets used to being used again (this is normal and I’m working on it in PT)
My biggest complaint is the deep bruised feeling on the inside of my heel when I first load it or stand for a while and the outside fleshy part of my ankle.
My surgeon recommended transitioning into very cushioned shoes (she specifically mentioned the Hoka Bondi and New Balance Fresh Foam 880).
I also got ASICS cumulus 16s for a more stylish every day shoe when I walk less. Inside the house, my surgeon recommended Oofos.
Things that surprised me most
Recovery isn’t linear. I’d have a great day followed by a sore day.
The tendon wasn’t what hurt most of the time—it was the heel, ankle, muscles, stiffness, and learning how to walk again.
Standing still is sometimes harder than walking.
Every time I increased activity, I had a temporary flare-up before things improved again.
The mental side of recovery was harder than I expected. Every new ache made me wonder if something was wrong.
Physical therapy has been essential. Don’t compare your recovery to anyone else’s timeline.
If you’re reading this because you’re about to have surgery: it really does get better. There were several weeks where I genuinely thought my foot would never feel normal again. Now I can see progress every week. I’m not fully recovered yet, but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I’m very glad I chose to have the surgery.
I unfortunately have this on my other foot as well, but I will not hesitate to have surgery again. For now I’m building strength and my PT said I will be able to start running again in the next month or two and I will stay in PT until I’m able.
Scar info:
My surgeon was incredible and the incision is healing wonderfully. I do have sensitive skin so when cleaning the wound at my weekly post-op check-ins, it would bleed a bit which is why she left my stitches in longer and when taken out, put steri strips that we waited until they fell off naturally. The scab is super gross and scary but when it falls off (DONT PULL IT) it really doesn’t look so bad. Just make sure you’re massaging around the scar every night after you get your splint off to increase the blood flow and ice as much as possible.
**I am 27 years old, about 135 pounds, and 5’1. I’m fairly active, a runner and do ballet. I also live in NYC and walking is a way of life here so fixing this was priority for me. It got tot the point I could barely stand when showering. Exercises, rest, and shock wave therapy did not help. I was on and off flaring for years. Turned out that because I was ignoring it, I developed arthritis in that foot and had edema.**