Add me to the tally of RUINED FEET!…read more
Years ago, I saw Robson for a plantar's wart: excellent bedside manner, great education, effective treatment. I had observed folks in the waiting room who had successful bunionectomies: Knowing I'd need it some day, I made sure to remember who I'd call...
2023: it's time for that bunionectomy! My deformity was such that it would require an osteotomy (for alignment correction) and fusion (metatarsal-tarsal) with hardware. My 2nd toe was already so long that it would need shortening to ensure proper foot mechanics (the osteotomy & fusion would make big toe too short/weight bearing would shift to the 2nd toe, which isn't good).
"Everything went well," he informed my husband immediately post-op. But the numbness from the surgery never resolved... At each follow-up appt, I mentioned my concern of lack of sensation: He said I must've had neuropathy BEFORE surgery: NO I DID NOT! He got so upset about my complaints (or was that he just didn't believe me?!?) that at next follow-up appt...
He took out a straight pin and began poking the areas: I felt NOTHING. He became more and more aggressive, now stabbing my foot repeatedly, until a look of embarrassment came over his face, as he subtly grabbed a tissue to wipe the blood from my foot and the blood drips on the floor that he caused! No, the needle wasn't sterile - it was a straight pin!
But, he insisted that he couldn't have cut ALL the nerves because of the pain caused when he grabbed my big toe, pulled (yanked is more accurate) and held it as far away from the other toes as possible. He said I needed to pull it like this regularly. Previously, he had given me instructions for mobilizations to improve extension/bending toe up (only) and NOT for this...yet he insisted that I wasn't working on my foot like I should be (I'm a PT eager to power thru this rehab, so yes I was).
The fusion nail through the metatarsal to the tarsal/1st cuneiform protruded to the 2nd cuneiform and began chiseling into it! He claimed that I only mentioned pain in this region AFTER I saw the X-ray (this was in the medical records). Um, this day, he didn't put the X-rays on screen: As he pulled the pictures up, he immediately clicked away, saying, "now's a good time to look at the original x-ray and start talking about hardware removal." While feebly clicking to search, he said, "That's right, our system went through an update, so I can't get to them right now." I asked to at least grab a pic "for posterity's sake." Barely had a chance to snap a pic of this day's x-ray, and no time to look at it until I got home.
2nd toe: The incision was made on the top/dorsum of the foot, right at the base of the 2nd toe. As incisions heal, scar tissue is laid and it contracts... I developed a hammer toe! Dr. Robson said, "I wish we discussed this hammer toe before surgery to take care of it then," to which my reply was "I didn't have a hammer toe before surgery."
I still don't have sensation in the ball of my foot, big toe, nor 2nd toe. Can't find/feel the ball of foot when trying to push off with gait. My 3rd toe has become inappropriately helpful with pushing off (& is constantly red).
New surgeon didn't want to disparage Dr. Robson: He was super professional. But the truth slipped out over visits:
1. The angle of fusion is such that the big toe/hallux/MTP joint doesn't bend straight (for a normal gait push-off); rather, it bends similarly to how it did before (directionally, as with bunions deformities). No amount of yanking the big toe outward will change the joint alignment (Robson had said I just needed to reshape the meniscal disc).
2. The 1st ray (metatarsal) was fused with the metatarsal head (AKA ball of the foot) ELEVATED, which explains why I can't "find it" when I try to push it down (seated/standing, lifting heel up). It mechanically CANNOT be the push-off bone as it should be.
3. The plate wasn't affixed flush to the bones - hardware removal would be necessary to wear shoes comfortably.
4. A sizable chunk was chiseled out of 2nd cuneiform from the protruding tip of the fusion nail.
5. Hammer toe was an obvious result of the procedure shortening the 2nd toe.
Other issues & details being left out because of how long this already is.
Bottom line: DO NOT RECOMMEND DR. ROBSON FOR BUNIONECTOMY REQUIRING FUSION. In fact, I've reported him to my insurance company and to the Board.