Osteochondroma recurrence - 2 weeks post op?

[HorsieLuver]

In Jan 2007, I found a lump on the top of my right foot. It was slightly painful to the touch, hard, like bone, and it hurt to wear shoes. At first, I thought I might have hit it on something and figured it would go away in a few days, but when it didn't, I went and saw my family doc.

My family doctor sent me through a battery of tests, xrays, bone scans, an MRI and a CT scan. They always came back inconclusive, but they agreed it was benign and it was bony and it was located on my 2nd metarsal. I was also referred to an orthopedic surgeon, one of the handful in our town. (He has a waiting list of 14 months, but because they orginally thought I was dealing with cancer, I got in 6 months). I saw him in June of 2007, he said it was a bone spur type thing, and because it was causing me pain, he'd remove it. I was placed on an "urgent" wait list, and after months of begging, I finally recieved a surgery date of Jan 9th, 2008.

The surgery, he told me, went well. Before the surgery, he'd had suspicions that it was an osteochondroma, and he found the stalk and cartiligious cap while operating. When I awoke, the first thing he told was that it was benign and it was an osteochondroma. He explained that there was a slight chance of recurrence. I spent 5 days on bed rest, and then another two and a half weeks confined to the house on crutches.

At 13 days post op, I returned to the hospital to have my bandage and tape (no stitches or staples for me!) removed from my foot. My doctor told me it was healing well, reccomended I take it easy for another week or so before I resume my regular life. I returned home, barefoot, and washed all the iodine/betadine off my foot. That's when I noticed that I still had a lump, underneath my scar, in the exact same feel and shape as the osteochondroma that had been removed. I made an appointment to see the surgeon and his receptionist got me a short appointment a week later.

The doctor felt the mass (which was surrounded by swollen and numb soft tissue, and extremely painful, much more painful then before the surgery) and said it was a hematoma covered by scar tissue. He said it would go away shortly and if I still had a problem with it in 4 months, THEN I should come back. The biopsy came back on the mass he had removed and it confirmed an osteophyte, which he told me meant osteochondroma. I left his office in tears.

The next few months were hell. I cannot walk on my foot properly, I have to walk on the outside edges, meaning I have overturned my ankle several times now. It causes me constant pain, horrible pain. I haven't worn a shoe that covered the top of my foot since before my surgery, so I must always wear flats. The soft tissue swelling went away, but I am still numb around my toes and the base of my toes. The lightest touch on the mass causes pain, I have nearly passed out on several ocassions when I have accidently knocked into something. I can barely stretch the foot and it hurts if I hit the inside of my foot on something. I walk with a limp, it's slight, but it's there. And needless to say, it did not go away like the doctor told me it would.

So in March 2008, as I approached that 4 month mark, I called and asked for an appointment with him, and the earliest appointment I got was for the beginning of August. In utter fustration, I made an appointment with my family doctor in early April. She sent me for an xray, and I went back for the results two weeks later. The xray stated that it was a bony thing, and it was larger then my xrays from before my surgery. The next day, I received a letter in the mail stating my appointment with my surgeon had been moved up to the end of May.

I went and saw my surgeon. He told me it was either a recurrence or a calcium deposit. He sent me for an urgent CT scan, which I have on June 16th.

At this point, I'm not sure what to do. My family doctor had suggested that I should ask for a second opinion, perhaps in Toronto? (I live in Ontario). I'm desperate and worn down. Does anyone have any ideas what this could be? Or what I should do? Is there any chance this could be a cancerous lesion? Please, help me. And if you read this entire explaination, thank you so much.

I have also included a picture that I took the night before my surgery. I can take a photo of what my foot looks like now and post it, if it would help? Thank you so much, and please help me!

[marileonesy]

Helo, I'am Mariana I lived in Brazil and because my boyfried has the ostecondroma disease I have search a lot of informations about it. He lives in Kansas and he made many cirurgy because of the tummor bone. I know that sometimes the doctor say that its necessary to do the cirurgy and sometimes not depend of the place that it grew. Don't be desesperated I knew that there are some centers who could do the cirurgy. This disiase, in general the tummor grew when the people has since 7 by 20 years old, and can grew just one tummor or many tummors. If you would like more information contact me,

Mariana

[HorsieLuver]

please please anyone else?

[HorsieLuver]

Thank you...I really am debating asking for a second opinion else where.

[Cindee56]

I'm sorry you're having this problem.  I don't really have an answer, but I would definitely get another opinion.  Maybe the surgeon messed up.  They never want to admit it if they did.  I doubt that it's cancer, but clearly, your foot is not better.  I would go to someone else entirely, but bring all your records with you.