Bunion Surgery

What is a bunion? 

A bunion is a bony protrusion located at the base of the big toe. This is actually not a new bone growth, but rather just the bone that is slowly being pushed outwards due to weak structures in the foot or abnormal foot mechanics.

How do you treat bunions?

The only treatment for bunions is through surgery. Bunion surgery usually involves realigning the first metatarsal so that the joint no longer deviates. This is done by applying local anesthetic to numb the affected foot. In some cases, a sedative may be used to calm the patient. The surgery usually lasts an hour or so and is commonly done on an outpatient basis. The aim of bunion surgery is to restore the normal alignment of the joints and eliminate pain. 

What are the major types of bunion surgery? Types of bunion surgery

1. Traditional Bunion Surgery

Traditional or Typical bunion surgery is done by making an incision, around 5 to 7 cm, to expose the bulging bone. Then a part of the metatarsal head is removed. This process is called bunionectomy or exostetomy. The bones are then positioned and pinned in place and excess bone is removed. In this type of bunion surgery, expect swelling and pain after surgery. It takes about 6 to 8 weeks for recovery to occur, during which time, crutches are required when moving around.

Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery

This is a new bunion surgery technique, also called no scar bunion surgery or scarless bunionectomy, is less invasive compared to the traditional type of surgery. This involves a very small incision, around 5mm or less. Then a live x-ray is used to help the surgeon locate the best place to cut the metatarsal bone. After cutting, the bone is repositioned to its adjacent metatarsal bones to get the foot as normal as possible. Once the bone is realigned to its ideal location, a pin is inserted to immobilize the bone and the incision is closed. Minimally invasive bunion surgery is virtually painless and the procedure is done as an outpatient basis. There is very little to no pain after surgery, and recovery time is only about 2 to 3 days.

Big Toe Pain

Seemingly every year, there are more and more patients with lingering foot pain and difficulty in walking. This can be caused by the great toe joint. Some patients may think that bunions are the only thing that can cause this pain, but truly this is only part of the story. A number of studies in recent years show the natural progression of arthritis in toe joints which do not seem to have any bunion characteristics, such as prominent bone on the inside of the foot and deviation of the great toe towards the lesser toes. This can be related in most cases to a distant trauma which occurred an unknown time ago.

At FFLC, there are several pain management modalities to provide nonsurgical relief in this area, ranging from orthotics and cortisone injections, to the new Cold LASER therapy for recurrent pain which can reduce symptoms in chronic pain of arthritis significantly without medications.

Something as trivial as stubbing your toe, or landing abruptly and resultant pain in the bottom of the joint that seems to go away, may eventually return later on as a limitation in joint motion, and pain in the foot which is related to the adaptive and erosive side effects from "hallux rigidus". This is visible after age 50 and can affect men and women, and can be the major source of a significant amount of discomfort and limitation with walking.

At The Family Foot and Leg Center, numerous conventional and proven treatment protocols for patients are available to give you the best chance at pain free ambulation. If you have arthritic changes on a regular X-ray, and the deformity is not too severe, you may even qualify for the latest implant arthroplasty technique known as "joint resurfacing". This is a relatively advanced joint replacement which allows patients to walk immediately after the surgery, and there are no weight bearing restrictions with a very high success rate both in the short term and long term.

Not everyone is a candidate, but for those who experience such pain, will acquire immediate relief. After several weeks post operatively, your range of motion should be close to the other foot, and in most cases significantly increased from before the procedure is done. It is an outpatient procedure with strict criteria prior to undergoing this advanced modality. Numerous other therapies for other conditions of the foot and ankle are available, check out Family Foot and Leg Center and Naples Heel Pain for the latest in the care
of your foot and ankle conditions.