Bunion Surgery
A bunion is a foot condition that causes the joint at the base of your big toe move outward and your big toe to turn inward. It creates a bony bump on the side of the foot and often causes pain and inflammation.
What causes a bunion?
Bunions can be caused by:
- Conditions like arthritis
- Hereditary factors
- Damage to the joint
- Certain types of footwear, like shoes with narrow toes
How are bunions treated?
Your doctor may recommend non-surgical treatment first. This might include certain types of footwear or inserts. If your symptoms continue, you may have bunionectomy, which is surgery to fix the bunion.
During surgery, your surgeon will remove inflamed tissue and cut part of the bone in your big toe to realign it. He or she will also adjust the ligaments in your toe and may insert screws or pins to secure the bone together.
What are the complications of bunion surgery?
Most complications are rare. However, if you do have a complication from surgery, it often can be fixed. These may include:
- Toe stiffness
- Loss of blood supply to your toe
- Infection in the toe
- Over-correction that causes the toe to turn outward