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I wasn't intending to challenge you with the word, "bothersome," but employment of ANY elective medical or surgical treatment in the attempt to help or cure a non-life-threatening condition is predicated on how "bothersome" the condition is to the patient. Of course, it's relative . . That's why only YOU can decide when the "bother" of having the symptoms is worth doing something about it.
Now, I don't believe you've ever confirmed it, but I've assume all along that we are talking about the TIBIAL sesamoid. That's the one closer to the mid-line of the body.
It is neither a radical nor an uncommon surgery at all, and if properly performed, inflicting minimal damage to or with adequate repair of the tendon in which the sesamoid is invested, and if the medial structures of the joint are sufficiently reinforced with suturing and the great toe bandaged in an appropriate position for a few weeks, in my experience, I have not seen the undesirable sequelae which you've mentioned.
As far as post-op pain for a period of anything like 15 months, barring something going terribly wrong, I think that terribly unlikely. I would say that, in my hands, most patients are back at a stand up job within 4 weeks or so.
But I'm speaking of a TOTAL sesamoidectomy, as I really don't see the value in a partial sesamoidectomy. First of all, if it is in two pieces . . how does one define the fractured piece? Secondly, it is not a critical structure in the foot which cannot easily be done without.
In the end, the decision is certainly yours and yours alone, and no amount of pressure should be put upon you to make that decision. Again, I say that whether or not you will chose to have the surgery depends entirely on your own judgment as to whether the symptoms warrant that which I personally would consider a relatively small risk. I've never done a procedure on a patient which I would not, under the same circumstances have had perfomed on myself.
Ball's in YOUR court.
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