Bunion Removal
(2 discussions)
I was referred to a podiatrist for a bunion on my right foot.
The podiatrist is recommending surgery.
The surgery involves removing the bunion along with removing two small bones in my foot.
He is going to do a zig zag cut in my bone and said he is going to put two screws in the bone which he will be permanent and not removed.
Also, my big toe is essential being cut off and moved over.
Does this sound like a normal procedure?
I have never had any kind of foot surgery and am nervous about this.
It sounds a little drastic to me.
What is your opinion?
2 comments
antoinette
: I HAVE A BUNION ON MY RIGHT AND LEFT FOOT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE HOW LONG WOULD I HAVE TO WEAR THE WOODEN SHOES. AND WHAT THE PRECEDURE IS TO CORRECT THEM.
Lynn
I had both bunions removed in one procedure last year and have some no bulls*** advice for you. Feel free to email me directly. You’re essentially correct about what happens. In my case, the toes were opened up along the inside edge of the big toe, and the bunion was “shaved off,” to use my physician’s euphemism. If your big toe severely points toward the rest of your toes, the doctor will straighten it. He does this by “breaking” your toe joint — this is actually a very specific method of sawing the toe joint in two. Then he aligns the broken toe with a titanium screw. (I can’t really commment on some specifics of your case, such as two small bones in your foot needing to be removed nor the zigzag cut. I would get a second opinion, perhaps from an orthopedic surgeon, which is whom I used.)The toughest part is getting an accurate idea of what to expect for your recovery. It is wonderful not to have red, sore and throbbing bunions, but here it is 1 1/2 years later for me, and I still have pain and stiffness, especially when I wear any shoe or boot with the slightest heel. I usually don’t have any pain when I wear fitness shoes or flat shoes, and I am quite active, playing tennis singles, kickboxing, etc., but whenever I wear regular shoes with heels, it takes a while after I take them off for my toes to “feel right.” I have a closet of beautiful Gucci, Prada and Giuseppi Zanotti shoes that I have not worn because they are simply too high. I would question the permanancy of screws. Once the bone sets, the screws are no longer needed to hold the bone in place. At least that’s what my doc told me. In my case, I am having the screws taken out in a few weeks because the screws protrude slightly from the bone and rub on most of my shoes, causing pain of course. I’m glad that I don’t have the bunion pain anymore, but not happy that I’ve seemed to have exchanged one problem for another.