One good reason why you can easily develop a bunion is when you choose to put on tight, confining, and pointed shoes. Over time, your joints will stress and start to bend, forming a bump, a deformity known as a bunion. You will notice redness, a raw and rough patch because your shoes create friction with your feet as you walk. You can seek bunions Lenox Hill treatment which can help you reduce pain from the bump. Treatment can include bunion surgery which cuts away the bump completely and then realigns your foot to its correct position. The type of surgery you will undergo will depend on the severity of the bunion. Meanwhile, here are a few questions you can ask to help you understand the procedure well.
Who Needs Bunion Surgery?
You can undergo a surgical procedure to remove bunions if you have bunions that cause pain and make it difficult to wear shoes. You may have tried wearing wider and more comfortable shoes, but the pain still does not stop. Your doctor may have recommended paddings and spacers, but your pain still fails to improve. Therefore, you will be eligible for bunion surgery to remove the bunion and eliminate the source of pain.
Are There Techniques of Bunion Surgery?
Osteotomy is the surgery that can help correct a bunion, and while there are several techniques, all focus on cutting bones. After the cutting, your doctor will reposition the bones with screws to help your big toe stay straight while reducing the bump. Compared to traditional bunion surgery, minimally invasive surgery has a less painful recovery because it requires small incisions.
How Does the Minimally Invasive Technique Work?
Your doctor will use a burr to cut the bump through small incisions on your foot. Small incisions mean that there will be little tissue damage which then means less swelling and pain after surgery. Therefore, you will be able to return to carrying around normal weight faster as you recover quickly. Your doctor will cut a different bone depending on the severity of your bunion. Mild bunions require cutting your first metatarsal bone, followed by your big toe and then realigning it to the correct position. Conversely, severe bunions will involve realigning and fusing your joints closer to the bend and then cutting the toe bone.
What Is Recovery Like with Bunion Surgery?
After surgery, you may need to stay off your feet for a while, especially in the first 14 days following treatment. Meanwhile, you will have to keep your feet elevated up to your second week when you can start putting weight on your foot. You will begin light exercises like walking and progress with time, depending on how your feet tolerate the pain. Typically, you can begin wearing normal shoes after two months.
Bunions protrude and become noticeable, making it even more difficult to wear shoes. On your onset of bunions, your doctor will likely recommend conservative medications to help eliminate symptoms. However, with time, conservative treatments may fail, and that is when you need surgery. Bunion surgery is the only sure way to remove bunions, thus a permanent relief from pain and deformity. While you may think the procedure is only cosmetic, bunion surgery will also help you avoid continued pain from the condition.
