There’s a time for everything under the sun….. including bunion surgery
A bunion is a deformity at the base of the big toe that usually develops slowly. Pressure on the big toe joint causes the big toe to lean toward the second toe. Over time, the normal position of the bone, tendons, and ligaments changes, resulting in the bunion. Often, this deformity gradually worsens over time and becomes progressively more painful.
Patients often get aching pain on the inside of the foot from shoes and shooting pain from irritation of a small nerve near the bunion. If left untreated, it can cause deformity and pain in the smaller toes.
Conservative, non-surgical treatments should always be used first with bunions. These include anti-inflammatory medication, wide toe box shoes, and various pads to prevent the bunion from rubbing against the shoe. Although non-surgical treatments cannot correct the bunion or slow the progression of the bunion, they can help to manage the pain.
When it’s time for surgery, minimally invasive bunion surgery is an option for appropriately selected patients. Patients who should consider surgery are those who meet one or more of the following characteristics:
- Continued pain despite non-surgical treatment
- Rapidly progressive deformity
- Painful changes in the smaller toes
Minimally invasive bunion surgery can minimize your discomfort while definitively correcting the deformity, and relieving pain, but should not be performed for cosmetic reasons.
If you or someone you know is suffering from a painful bunion that has not responded to non-surgical treatments, schedule an appointment with Dr. Dean. It may be the right time for bunion surgery.
Dr. Daniel Dean is a fellowship trained foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon. He treats all musculoskeletal pathologies of the foot and ankle in adolescent and adult patients. He has specialized training in total ankle arthroplasty, sports injuries, flatfoot, complex fractures, and minimally invasive techniques in bunion correction.
