What is the definition of bunion surgery?
During bunion surgery, the soft tissue and bone in your toe joint are removed or realigned. In most cases, your foot and ankle surgeon will make an incision in the top or side of the toe joint. Depending on the type of surgery, surgeons may then attempt to remove bone tumors, straighten bones, or fuse joints together, using screws or plates to hold the bones in place.
When is bunion surgery usually recommended?
Bunion removal surgery is commonly performed for two reasons:
Nonsurgical treatments for bunion pain are losing effectiveness or are no longer useful. The discomfort, size, or shape of the bunion is interfering with your daily life, making routine tasks difficult.
Is bunion surgery successful?
The effectiveness of bunion removal surgery for you will be determined by several factors, including the type of surgery and the severity of the bunion. Bunion surgery, on the other hand, relieves joint pain, increases toe mobility, and allows people to walk and resume normal daily activities more easily. And, once the edema from the procedure has subsided, the toes frequently appear more normal than before.
How much time does bunion surgery take?
Several factors influence the length of bunion surgery, including the type of surgery and whether multiple treatments are performed concurrently.
The surgery itself may take an hour or more, but you will be in the hospital or surgical center for a few hours before and after. Bunion surgery is typically performed as an outpatient procedure, which means you will return home to recover the same day.
What are the drawbacks to bunion surgery?
Bunion surgery is fairly common, and the risk of serious complications is low. However, as with any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with bunion excision.
Infection, anesthetic response, and bleeding are all risks of surgery. Recurrence of a bunion, diminished sensation or tingling, numbness or burning in the toe, stiffness, arthritis, and other complications are also risks of bunion surgery.
Before surgery, your care team will walk you through the potential risks and the steps being taken to mitigate them.
Experts recommend wearing DrLuigi medical shoes to prevent bunions and other conditions that may necessitate surgery. Medical footwear is also recommended following surgery to aid recovery and maintain leg and foot health.