Bunions can be extremely painful and limiting to one’s activities.  It is hard to find shoes, especially comfortable shoes.  Bunions continue to grow and become difficult to manage.  I have seen large and small bunions that are painful.  Most bunions end up requiring surgical repair.

I see a lot of patients that have been deciding whether or not to fix their bunion.  I ask all my patients the same things, is it painful, does it interfere with life and is it getting bigger?  These seem to be all good reasons to fix your bunion.  Fixing your bunion has never been easier.  The Lapiplasty is one of my most favorite procedures as it provides reproducible results and long lasting correction.  Most patients can begin to weight bear at 2 weeks and return to activities much sooner than previous procedures. 

If you have a bunion and have been contemplating having it fixed I can help.  I have an onsite surgical suite making it more convenient and saving both time and money.  Make an appointment today at 425-391-8666 or fill out a contact form online and we'll reach out to you. 

Sincerely,

Dr Brandon Nelson

American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons

Bunion surgery has been performed for over 100 years.  There have been many adaptations and changes since the first bunion surgery.  There are now over 150 different techniques to address bunion deformities.  It should be noted the majority of these can be divided up by anatomical location.  We now classify bunion surgery as either a head procedure of a base procedure.  Head procedures refer to operating on the head of the first metatarsal (out towards the toes) and base at the base of the first metatarsal (or near the arch). 

The decision on which bunion procedure to utilize typically involves the size of the bunion and the underlying foot type.  Typically we see smaller bunions are amenable to head procedure and large base procedures.  However it should be noted that certain foot types will require base procedures for even small bunions.  The goal for bunion surgery is to have lasting results and reproducible results. 

I personally perform a lot of Lapiplasty type bunion surgeries.  I find these have great long term results and provide incredible corrections.  The recovery from the Lapiplasty is longer than a head procedure but the results can be much better.  If you suffer from a bunion and would like to have it fixed schedule and appointment today, I can help. Give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an apppointment online today. 

Sincerely,
Dr. Brandon Nelson

Bunions can be a very difficult pathology to deal with as a patient. The majority of patients that have bunion pain are typically female between the ages of 25-55. Etiology of the bunion remains a mix of genetics and environmental factors like shoes and activity levels. Bunions can develop on the inside or the outside of the foot. Bunion on the inside of the foot can also be called metatarsus primus varus or hallux abductovalgus. Bunion on the outside of the foot is called a tailor’s bunion. Bunions can be extremely painful with activities especially as people change activities like beginning to run or do exercises that require a lot of movement.

There are many different options to relieve bunion pain. The options are categorized as surgical or conservative. From a surgical standpoint it depends on the severity of the bunion as to which procedure is selected as well as the recovery time is correlated to this. Conservative care can be useful for many patients that have a new onset of bunion pain or are not ready to have it fixed surgically. There are prescription orthotics that can be specifically used to address bunion pain as well as lubricating injection series to reduce the painful joint. I get a lot of questions about conservative measures about strapping and padding for the bunions however these measures do not typically work and will not reverse a bunion.

If you have bunion pain and would like to discuss either conservative or surgical measures we are here to help. Give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today.

Treating bunions without surgery can be fairly challenging for patients that currently have pain or difficulty fitting shoe gear. Bunions or bone deformity can be inherited from your mom or dad. It is not uncommon for bunions to begin early in adolescence and continuing to develop into adulthood. Patients are often interested in conservative measures that are available to help with bunion pain. It is important to note that there are no conservative measures that are going to fix your bunion deformity.

Quite a few patients come in with all sorts of strapping devices and splinting devices from the Internet. None of these tools fixture bunion or change the shape of your bunion as this deformity is a malalignment of a joint and bone. However, it should be noted that we have many options for people that are having bunion pain and do not want to have surgery performed. The most important issues to address are the mechanical instability and the joint pain. Often times stabilize the foot structure can significantly helped slow the deformity and reduce the pain. There are many options for the arthritic joint that can provide long-term relief. In office evaluation and x-ray are central to recognizing what type of bunion is developing how to best rectify the pain. At Issaquah Foot and Ankle Specialists we have seen thousands of bunions and have many different options available to save the patient’s lifestyle. Please give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online if you have bunion pain.