Orthopaedic Surgeon Questions Orthopaedic Surgeon

How long is recovery from heel spur surgery?

I have a heel spur and will have surgery. How long is recovery from heel spur surgery?

6 Answers

In my office, the surgery is done in office under local anesthesia, and patient walk on the same day, full recovery is 2-4 wks.
You can expect 6-8 weeks recovery. Please follow any recommendations made by your surgeon.
That depends on what type of heel surgery you are having? Is it open or minimally invasive? Is it on the back of the heel where the Achilles tendon attaches or is it on the bottom of the heel where the plantar fascia attaches? A general fairly vague answer without knowing more information would be for plantar heel spur surgery I would tell you 6-8 weeks to walk normally without a boot and approximately 3 months before you can start exercising. If you are dealing with the Achilles tendon attachment, you are likely looking at 2-3 months in a boot and approximately 4-6 months before you return to some type of exercise activity, but it would be a slow return. There are MIS surgical techniques that can speed up the recovery time a little.
Recovery from surgery will vary depending on procedure(s) performed. I recommend you discuss with a foot and ankle surgeon (podiatrist) for more details
"Heel Spur" surgery is actually "Plantar Fasciitis" surgery. If correctly performed, you should be back in normal shoes within 3-4 weeks after surgery
I don't do heel spur surgery but it has a poor track record and recovery is prolonged