subject: Bunion Surgery: [print this page] Bunion Surgery procedures are specifically designed and chosen in response to the pathologies of the patient's case. A bunion is a structural anomaly of the bones of the foot and the joint of the big toe. It is sometimes quite painful. A bunion will most often appear as a swollen and/or tender area around the joint of the big toe. It may result in the "turning in" of the big toe.
The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society conducted a study regarding bunions. They concluded that 88 percent of women in the U.S. wear their shoes too small. In addition, they concluded that 55 percent of women in the U.S. have bunions at one time or another. Women are nine times more likely to get bunions than men; this is most likely due to shoe preferences that differ by gender.
The most common cause of a bunion is the prolonged wearing of misfitting shoes. Shoes with narrow, pointed toes squeeze the toes into an unnatural position and often result in bunions. Other causes can include: arthritis, polio, heredity, etc.
Learning About Bunion Surgery:
Many bunions cases can be appropriately treated without the need for surgery. But for some patients nonsurgical treatments are just not enough. In these cases surgeries can provide adequate pain relief as well as correcting any related foot deformity. A successful surgery can aid patients in resuming their normal activities. Discussing the case with a surgeon is the best idea so that nonsurgical versus surgical options can be considered.
Bunion Surgery can be based on one or more of the following procedures are pertaining to the particular patient's case: correcting any abnormal bowing or misalignment within the great toe, removing the abnormal bony enlargement of the first metatarsal, repositioning the sesamoid bones beneath the first metatarsal bone, straightening the great toe relative to the first metatarsal and adjacent toes, realigning the first metatarsal bone relative to the adjacent metatarsal bone, addressing arthritic changes associated with the great toe joint, shortening, lengthening, raising, or lowering the first metatarsal bone, realigning the cartilaginous surfaces of the great toe joint, correcting any abnormal bowing or misalignment within the great toe.
Recovering From Bunion Surgery:
Bunion Surgery is performed under a variety of anesthetics. Anesthetics available are: general, local or spinal. Most surgeons will perform surgery with a local anesthetic. Local anesthetic is less invasive. This is one of the main reasons for its popularity. After undergoing bunion surgery patients will often need between 6 and 8 weeks in order to fully recover. During recovery patients will need to rely on crutches in order to keep their mobility.
