Bunions are a painful bump near the big toe joint that can occur because of genetics, improper shoe gear, activities and injury.
While bunions can be treated conservatively to alleviate symptoms such as joint pain, shooting pain and irritation there are times when a bunion should be addressed surgically. This is usually considered after the patient has tried to alleviate pain with topical medications, oral medications and possibly injections to alleviate symptoms. Additionally, education on proper shoe selection is equally important to prevent recurrence of symptoms.
When simple measures do not alleviate the symptoms then it is time to have a discussion with your surgeon about surgical correction. This is especially true if the bump about the big toe joint becomes more prominent with time and becomes progressively painful.
Surgery should also be considered when the pain from the bunion interferes with the ability to carry out daily activities and interferes with one’s quality of life. Similarly, it should be considered if there is marked restriction about the big toe joint that causes pain and is worse than the opposite foot. Equally so, surgery should be considered if the joint has abnormal grating or crunching sounds when moved which may indicate an internal fracture fragment inside the joint causing damage.
Prior to surgery you will want to consult with your surgeon for a complete examination in which the foot is often examined both seated and standing and the feet are examined for range of motion along with other systems to determine if surgery is safe. Additionally, your provider will order films to assess if surgery is warranted and if so what the proper procedure is to achieve the desired results.