Will My Bunion Come Back After Surgery? - Best Foot Doctor NY (2024)

FAQs

How likely are bunions to come back after surgery? ›

Recurrence rates for bunion surgery have been reported as high as 16%. However, at 2 years post-surgery, my personal patient reported recurrence rate for the keyhole bunion surgery I perform, was 0.9%. So about 1 in 100 patients have their bunion return after 2 years.

A botched bunionectomy typically is intolerable to the patient, causing inability to walk without pain, continuous inability to bend the big toe joint, or even inability to fit into shoes. Other cases of failed bunion surgery involve over-correction of the original deformity.

To begin with, your Podiatrist will prescribe you gentle semi weight-bearing exercises and mobilisation exercises to help restore some strength and range of motion into your big toe joint.

Studies have shown that bunion surgery has a failure rate of up to 40%. This means that in 40% of cases, the surgery does not provide the desired outcome.

When healed after surgery, a patient can wear a soft, comfortable splint to prevent shifting of the newly re-aligned toe. This is usually worn when the patient is non-ambulatory or during sleeping hours. It is also necessary to focus on what caused the bunion in the first place.

It's not uncommon for bunions to come back, even if you've had a bunionectomy. In fact, they're more likely to recur if your bunion surgery was simply to shave down the bone, as opposed to a procedure like a lapidus bunionectomy or other method of realigning the bones of the foot.

That's because a revision foot surgery can be performed by a specialist experienced in bunion revision surgeries to help restore motion and anatomical alignment at the great toe while improving the foot's cosmetic appearance and relieving pain symptoms.

You will have pain and swelling that slowly improves in the 6 weeks after surgery. You may have some minor pain and swelling that lasts as long as 6 months to a year. You won't be able to put weight on your foot at first.

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.

Lapiplasty® is a new procedure using patented technology to correct not only the bunion, but its root cause. It straightens three dimensions of alignment of the metatarsal bone. First, it corrects the sideways lean of your metatarsal bone.

Which is better, bunionectomy or lapiplasty? ›

Lapiplasty offers a promising surgical treatment option. It involves a less invasive procedure, fewer complications, and a quicker recovery than traditional bunion surgery. It also addresses bunions at their root cause.

The signs and symptoms of a bunion include: A bulging bump on the outside of the base of your big toe. Swelling, redness or soreness around your big toe joint. Corns or calluses — these often develop where the first and second toes rub against each other.

A list of the more common complications leading to failure include: loss of correction, under- or over-correction, delayed union, malunion or non-union of osteotomy or fusion, joint stiffness, nerve entrapment, and excessive shortening of the first metatarsal leading to lesser metatarsal overload.

Lapiplasty uses 3D technology to permanently fix the root issues that caused you to develop bunions. Rather than simply shaving off your bunion, as would happen in traditional surgery, lapiplasty derotates and shifts your out-of-place joints, stabilizing them and ensuring your bunion won't return.

The only way to permanently remove bunions is surgery, sometimes called a bunionectomy. There are a few different ways to surgically remove a bunion, and all are common. Your podiatrist will take a look at your foot to determine the best approach to help you find permanent bunion relief.

That's because a revision foot surgery can be performed by a specialist experienced in bunion revision surgeries to help restore motion and anatomical alignment at the great toe while improving the foot's cosmetic appearance and relieving pain symptoms.

Revision surgery isn't right for every patient with bunion surgery failure, but it may be right for you if you experience post-surgical arthritis, bone necrosis, compromised foot function, or severe stiffness. Overcorrection and under-correction are also possible reasons for considering a bunion revision.

Q: Will bunion surgery fix my bunions permanently? A: Bunion surgery is an effective solution for most people as it has an approximate success rate of 85-90%.