If you have ever suffered from a bunion then you will know just how painful and life altering it can be. And while there are many home remedies and over the counter treatments for your bunion, not all of them will go away as a result. If you have a deformity like this that does not take well to treatment then you may need to undergo bunion surgery. Surgeries are done so that the patient can finally be free from the pain and other symptoms associated.
Goals of Surgery
• Getting back the normal alignment and workings of your foot
• Getting rid of the pain causing bunion and ensuring it does not return
Bunion Surgery
When most people think of bunion surgery they think of a doctor simply shaving off the bunion. And although this treatment method is done it is more of the home remedies kind. Instead, a surgery on your bunion is much more extensive and invasive than that but is needed in order to keep the bunion from returning. The way the bunion surgery will do this is by breaking your metatarsal or better known as toe bone. This is done in order to fix the way your toe is aligned. Furthermore, you surgeon will work to tighten up your ligaments on the outside of the toe and help to release the ligaments that are in your toe. The reason this is done is to loosen tension on your ligaments so that your toe points in the right direction which is often the cause of the bunion in the first place.
After Surgery
Although a bunion surgery is rarely done unless it is absolutely necessary, there are times when it must be done. And what most people find after surgery is a whole lot of pain. The reason for this of course is because of the toe break, and this pain will last for about three months. However, although a wide majority of the bunion surgery patients experience a full recovery, others may find that the bunions return after a few months or even years. But even with those statistics surgery will be the best option for those that are suffering major pain and discomfort, and where conventional treatment methods were unsuccessful.
Complications that may happen after surgery include:
A correction that was done properly
A hallux varus, or in other words, the big toe points inward in some cases due to an overcorrection of the bunion
Injury to the nerves which can cause numbness in the toes
Various levels of infection
These are some of the complications that can be associated with your surgery, but many of them can be prevented with the right pre and post operative care. Check with you doctor to see which methods are best so that you can cut your chances of these complications occurring.
Rehabilitation after Bunion Surgery
If you have just had bunion surgery then there are some steps you can take to ensure it will be successful. But although rehabilitation is easy to understand for some, they still tend to have issues sticking to the after care regiment. This regiment is very important to the healing process and must be followed exactly. For example, some doctors will require that you wear a shoe after your operation that is specially designed to keep away pressure and other forces from pushing on your toe bone that is healing. Furthermore, you will find that you will be required to use crutches for as long as you feel pain. In the end it is important to understand that bunions surgery is very uncomfortable and can take up to three months to heal.