When to have bunion surgery?
When is it advisable to have bunion surgery?
A bunion is a bony bump that forms on the outside of the foot, just in front of where the big toe joins. It can be uncomfortable and painful when it rubs against shoes or socks, or when you stand for a long time. Most people have bunions that don’t cause them any problems, but if yours causes pain, bunion surgery can help eliminate the discomfort for good.
Most people who suffer from bunions (hallux valgus) only consider bunion surgery when they have severe localised pain in the bony protrusion or “bump” caused by the deformity, which also causes problems when wearing shoes.
These symptoms are accompanied by other problems that may arise such as claw or hammer toes, metatarsalgia or plantar pain, as well as other problems caused by incorrect foot support. In these cases, bunionette surgery can be a real solution.
There are different surgical techniques to correct bunions and it depends on the degree of deformity, the general health of the patient and other factors. Your surgeon will decide what is best for you.
Bunion surgery usually takes between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours. Bunion surgery is performed under local anaesthetic.
In most cases, bunion surgery can be performed through a few millimetres incision made in the back of the foot or a small cut in the skin just above the bony bump that gives the bunion its name.
When the front part of the foot or forefoot presents deformities in the toes together with hallux valgus, this must be operated on together with the rest of the deformities, as it is the first metatarsal of the foot that maintains the alignment of the other toes, thus preventing them from suffering deformities. If only the toe deformities are operated on without correcting the bunion, it will be a matter of time before the toes are deformed again because of the bunion.
What happens if I don’t have bunion surgery?
Perhaps for fear of thinking that having surgery on the foot is something that will cause pain but at Clínica San Román we use what is known as minimally invasive surgery. This means that bunionette surgery is performed only through small incisions with the use of very fine instruments.
This will allow you to return home the same day, being able to walk normally without pain or discomfort and recover quickly in a short period of time.
Contact us to assess the best solution for bunions.
To provide a real solution to the problem of bunions, it is not only necessary to remove the bony protrusion or “bump”, as the deformity of the foot is caused by the deviation of the first metatarsal. To solve the problem of hallux valgus or bunion, an osteotomy must be performed, in which a cut is made in the first phalanx and the metatarsal when necessary by means of minimally invasive or percutaneous surgery for correct alignment, and thus eliminate the bony protrusion.
