Bunion Removal: Before Your Surgery (2024)

FAQs

Bunion Removal: Before Your Surgery? ›

Preparing for surgery

Prior to bunion surgery, it's important to prepare your home for an easy and more comfortable recovery. Create a recovery zone in your home and make it accident-proof by removing clutter and making sure you create a space for resting and elevating your foot. Make everything you need for recovery within easy reach.

You may need bunion surgery if you have severe foot pain that happens even when walking or wearing flat, comfortable shoes. Surgery may also be needed when chronic big toe inflammation and swelling isn't relieved with rest or medicines.

Is bunion surgery worth it? This will be up to each patient. But in short, if your bunion pain was keeping you from walking, doing the activities you liked, or exercising regularly, then the surgery is worth it. You won't only regain the freedom of moving around pain-free, but you will also protect your future health.

Fast: Your doctor will give you exact instructions to stop eating and drinking prior to surgery. If you do not follow these orders, your surgery may need to be postponed. Clean Up: The bath or shower you take prior to your surgery will be your last for a few days. Do not use any lotions or deodorants on your foot.

Mild Bunion Operation – when the bump or spurs are just removed. Patients can immediately walk in a walking boot and will stay on for two weeks.

The operation usually takes 30 minutes to an hour. Your surgeon will discuss with you which of the following procedures the operation is likely to involve. Removing the bunion. Releasing the tight ligaments and tightening stretched ligaments.

Prolonged swelling, infection, and deep vein thrombosis can result from this treatment. Some of the other possible complications include over- or under-correction, loss of correction, joint stiffness, and nerve entrapment.

Individuals who undergo traditional bunion surgery can first expect to take several days off for the surgery and the subsequent hospital stay. Then, for the next two weeks, they'll be unable to walk or get off their feet. Finally, they will likely have to wear a cast or use crutches for the following several months.

Symptoms often progress as the bunion becomes more severe with a more prominent bump and big toe deviation under or over the smaller toes. However, the treatment of bunions is more complex than removing the bony growth you can visually see. Surgical correction is necessary to get you back on your feet.

What happens if you don't remove bunions? ›

If left untreated, a bunion can cause arthritis, especially if the joint in the big toe has sustained extensive, long-term damage. Bunions may cause the cartilage in the joint to deteriorate. While bunions can be remedied through surgery, arthritis and the possibility of chronic pain are not curable.

One potential downside of bunion surgery is the risk of complications such as recurrence of the bunion, nerve damage, and continued pain, as well as the possibility of overcorrection leading to the big toe extending away from the other toes.

Bunion surgery costs depend on the type of surgery you have, where you have the procedure, your health insurance or Medicare coverage, and more. Generally, if your bunion pain is leading to physical limitations, and surgery is deemed medically necessary by your podiatrist, insurance will cover the procedure.

One could say summer is the best time for surgery since open-toed shoes, sandals and flip-flops are easier to squeeze a swollen foot into than a heavy winter boot. But, that's not true if you enjoy swimming, biking or water skiing. The best time to have bunion surgery is when it fits your lifestyle.

This requires a surgeon to break the bone or cut into the bone and reposition the first metatarsal, which can lead to a long recovery period of six-to-eight weeks, during which patients cannot bear any weight on the foot and must use crutches.

How long do you wear a boot after bunion surgery? This protective footwear will be part of your wardrobe for at least three to six weeks after surgery – but could be used for several months.

You may sleep without your boot once you are 4 weeks from surgery. after surgery you will be allowed to bear weight on your foot as tolerated in your boot. This may change based on skin healing or other added procedures.

How long should you stay off your feet after bunion surgery? For every foot surgery, patients should stay off their feet and rest for the first two weeks. Typically, it is recommended that you keep the surgical area elevated 80% of the time during the first week and 50% of the time in the second week.