Understanding Bunion Surgery
Bunion surgery is one of the best and most effective ways of acquiring bunion relief. It involves an incision on either the top or side of the joint of the big toe then removing or realigning the soft bone and tissue to alleviate pain and discomfort and to restore the normal joint alignment. If the deformation is severe, tiny wires, plates, screws, or stitches may be used. Though really effective, there isn’t any guarantee that the pain will be completely relieved through bunion surgery.
Different Types of Bunion Surgery
1. Removal of one part of the foot’s metatarsal head or the part that is protruding or bulging out. This bunion surgery procedure is called bunionectomy or exostectomy
2. Removing a small wedge from the foot bone. This is called metatarsal osteotomy. Removing a small wedge from the toe bone is called phalageal osteotomy.
3. Realigning the soft tissues or ligaments surrounding the joint of the big toe.
4. Removing the bone from the end of the metatarsal bone that joins with big toe base. At this particular joint, the metatarsal bones and the big toe are reshaped. This procedure is called resection arthroplasty.
5. Arthrodesis or fusion of the joint of the big toe.
6. Lapidus procedure.
7. Implant insertion of a part of the artificial joint
What Should You Expect After Bunion Surgery?
It usually takes 6 weeks to as long as 6 months for a person to recover from bunion surgery. The recovery period actually depends on how many tissues and bones were affected. Complete recovery may take a year or even more. For fast recovery, make sure to do the following after undergoing bunion surgery:
1. Cover your foot when bathing or showering to keep your stitches dry.
2. Have the stitches 7 to 21 days after the surgery.
3. Pins sticking out of the foot may be removed after 3 or 4 weeks.
4. Walking casts, special shoes, or splints, or may be used to temporarily replace regular shoes which can only be word 4 to 5 weeks after the surgery. Resume to normal activities 6 to 8 weeks after the bunion surgery.
5. Make sure not carry any weight for 6 to 8 weeks after the surgery. This is to allow steady healing of the soft tissues and bones. Nevertheless, partial weight bearing may be allowed as long as you wear a special boot or shoe after bunion surgery.