When Is Bunion Surgery Necessary?

Bunions are typically managed with conservative treatments from your podiatrist. However, surgical intervention might be necessary from your Avon, CT, podiatrist. Dr. Richard Grayson of Avon Podiatry Associates.

Bunion Surgery

During bunion surgery, your podiatrist attempts to correct your toe deformity surgically to reduce your discomfort. Due to the progressive nature of bunions, your foot condition could worsen over time. Conservative therapies are typically effective at slowing down this progress especially when started on time.

Even with bunion surgery, you might still need additional care such as orthotic devices. Before your surgery, your podiatrist will review your medical history and perform several tests to assess your bunions and overall health.

When You Might Need Bunion Surgery

Conditions where your Avon, CT, podiatrist might recommend bunion surgery for you include:

• Severe Foot Pain — If you can't seem to make it a short distance without pain, your podiatrist might suggest surgery to improve your condition. Surgery might be the next option if conservative treatments such as athletic shoes and anti-inflammatory medication fail to relieve your discomfort.
• Toe Stiffness — Inability to move your big toe might call for surgical repair.
• Chronic Toe Inflammation — If the inflammation of your big toe fails to improve with medication, your podiatrist might call for surgery.
• Toe Deformity — As your big toe continues to bend towards your other toes, it might lead to a foot deformity. Finding proper fitting shoes might be difficult and surgery to repair your foot deformity might be necessary.

Types of Bunion Surgery

The two major types of bunion surgery that your podiatrist can perform for you are:

• Head Procedures — Head procedures focus on repairing your big toe's joint. During this procedure, your podiatrist will cut your bone behind the joint, move it back to the proper position and secure it with screws. The head procedure is advantageous if you don't want to lose mobility for extended periods.
• Base Procedures — Several base procedures focus on the bone behind or near your big toe's joint. It might also involve the repair of the ligaments around your joints.

When you fail to see results with conservative bunion therapies, consider discussing bunion surgery with your podiatrist. Your Avon, CT, podiatrist, Dr. Grayson of Avon Podiatry Associates can share more about bunion surgery with you during your consultation. Call (860) 677-7733 to schedule your appointment.