Dr Timothy Young, a Board Certified Foot Surgeon on: Should I Get Bunion Surgery? Part 1

Bunions, are a common foot deformity, they can cause pain and discomfort, affecting your daily activities, exercise and overall quality of life. If you're suffering from a bunion, you may have considered the option of bunion correction surgery. However, deciding whether or not to proceed with surgery is a choice that requires careful consideration. In this blog post, I will explore the factors you should take into account when deciding whether to get bunion surgery.

Understanding Bunions: Before considering the decision-making process, it's important to understand what bunions are. A bunion is a bony bump at the base of the great toe, and the deformity also causes the great toe to deviate outward. This condition often leads to pain, inflammation, and challenges in finding comfortable footwear. Bunions can be caused by various factors, including genetics, footwear choices, and certain medical conditions.  In most cases, you inherit a foot structure that is prone to developing the bunion.

Conservative Treatments: When considering bunion surgery, you want to explore conservative treatments first. Non-surgical approaches may include changing shoes, using prescription orthotic inserts, applying ice or heat, taking over-the-counter pain relievers, and doing exercises to improve foot strength and flexibility. These methods can provide relief for mild to moderate bunions, and surgery should be considered when conservative measures do not provide relief.

If you are experiencing foot or ankle pain, give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today. 

There are a few things patients can do to heal faster from bunion surgery.  I will review some ideas that patients can utilize that may decrease healing time frames.  Most importantly one must follow the postoperative course as directed by your surgeon.  It is important to realize that 2 things need to heal following surgery: soft tissues and bone.

Soft tissues consist of skin, subcutaneous tissues and capsular tissue around the joint.  These structures are primarily sutured closed and will typically have sutures in for 10-14 days depending on the site.  There are a few supplements that can help to improve healing.  I like to have my patients take collagen and zinc and hydrate as these can influence skin healing.  Once the wound is closed I encourage the use of silicone and moisturization of the wound.   Additionally it is important to start the range of motion of the toe to free up and adhesions.

Bone is the other structure that must heal after bunion surgery.  Usually, a bone cut, or fusion is performed.  This is dependent on the procedure but there are a few things you can do to speed bone healing.    The first being additional calcium and other bone healing nutrients.  I like to have my patients take a bone healing supplement and increase the consumption of green leafy vegetables.  Additionally, if a bone stimulator is available this can be helpful. 

Regardless of the bunion procedure these tips can be helpful in your recovery process.  Take care and wish you a speedy recovery. If you are experiencing foot or ankle pain, give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online. 

Dr. Brandon Nelson

Bunion surgery is one of the most performed surgical procedures in the United States.  The bunion can be corrected with many different types of procedure from osteotomies (the cutting of bone) to arthrodesis (the fusion of bones).  Lapiplasty procedure is relatively new but utilizes a technique that has been around for years.  The procedure is based on a Lapidus bunion surgery. 

This procedure was named after a Dr Lapidus.  It involves fusion of a tarsometatarsal joint to stabilize the foot and fix the bunion.  The Lapiplasty allows for surgeons to have reproducible results utilizing special equipment and cutting jigs.  I find Lapiplasty to be a reliable tool for bunion correction.  Especially useful in large bunion cases and with people that have had long standing bunions.  If you have a large bunion and would like to speak with a Lapiplasty Surgeon please contact my office and we can see if you are a candidate. Give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Brandon Nelson

People with a painful bunion often begin to contemplate bunion surgery. Bunion surgery is a great option for patients who are wish to relieve symptoms cause by bunions.

There are many different types of bunion surgeries. Bunion surgeries are based on the size of the bunion and the individual foot structure. The majority of bunion surgeries require and incision on the top of the big toe joint. The procedure then involves removing and realigning bone and soft tissue of the big toe joint. If any other foot issues are present, like a flatfoot, these should be fixed at the same time.

Scheduling an appointment to have your bunion evaluated is the first step. Dr. Nelson will discuss your x-rays and all of your options. He will present both conservative and surgical and help you determine what is best. Some common questions include:

-Surgery is done one foot at a time

-The majority of bunion surgeries are less than 2 hrs

-Patients are sedated during the procedure and this is done in the office

-Pain medication will be prescribed for when the nerve block wears off

-Walking without crutches is possible for most people

The recovery can vary from patient to patient. However, most people can bear weight after the procedure. It is important to follow all post-op instructions carefully. If you have a painful bunion and want to know what options are available and live in Issaquah, Sammamish, Snoqualmie, Bellevue, Seattle, Kirkland or Maple Valley give us a call so we can help.

Give us a call today at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online. 

Do I need bunion surgery?

Quite a few patients ask this question. There are many factors that go into whether I think a patient should undergo surgery. Pain is the primary factor that I like to use for patients deciding whether or not they need bunion surgery. Another factor includes whether or not their second toe is affected from the bunion with something like a hammertoe occurring. Another important factor to consider is that a bunion is a progressive deformity and at some point usually requires to be fixed.

How long doesn’t take to recover from bunion surgery?

This is a much harder question to answer because there are many variables that play into this. The most important variable is the type of bunion surgery that was performed. It also depends on one's definition of recovery. Majority of patients we see are walking within 1 week and can return to normal activities as quickly as 6 weeks or as long as 3 months.

Doesn’t hurt to have bunion surgery?

I find this question very easy to answer yes bunion surgery can be uncomfortable. However, at our office we typically perform 3-5 bunion surgeries every week and are very well-versed in helping patients with pain management. Any type of surgery will typically produce pain as this is a normal an inflammatory response. The majority of people that we treat typically will take pain medications for approximately 1-3 days.

Can I still Drive after having bunion surgery?

This question really depends on the type of bunion surgery that is performed. A large majority of bunion surgeries the patient can drive as soon as they feel comfortable. The majority of patients will drive in a stiff shoe however some patients with larger reconstructions may not be able to drive for approximately 4-6 weeks.