Bunion Treatment

It is important to know the recommended procedures and typical recovery time for foot surgery before you even go into the operation. This will help you be able to plan accordingly for post-operation care.

You may require a nerve-blocking procedure prior to your surgery. This will likely leave your foot numb afterwards which can last from 3 to 15 hours. You will be prescribed medication to help with pain management.

In addition, it is recommended that you elevate your foot above heart level, whether in bed or on a couch, in order to minimize swelling. Any weight bearing or physical activities must be avoided for the first few weeks. Icing is an important part of the post-operative routine.

Do not expect to be able to work for the first one to four weeks following your foot surgery. After this time period, you might have to undergo physical therapy.

The structure of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves within the foot is complex; an injury to even one area can make it difficult to move around. Foot surgery, whether to restore function, fix a deformity, or repair damage after an injury, can be traumatic to the foot. Following the proper post-operative instructions is crucial to the success of any foot surgery; when you can bear weight on the foot will depend on the kind of surgery you had. Each type of surgery will have a different recovery phase, and the amount of non-weight-bearing time can vary from a few days to several weeks or even months. In many cases, even when pressure can be put back on the foot, special shoes or braces may need to be worn to protect the healing bones or tissues.

Many different problems could cause big toe pain. If you have a hard bulge at the base of your toe, you may have a bunion. If the toe is stiff and moving it is uncomfortable, you may have arthritis. Sharp pain after an injury could be a fracture or a sprain, like turf toe. Sudden arthritis pain could be gout. Aching under the big toe at the ball of the foot could be sesamoiditis. The exact cause of your big toe pain will depend on the structures within it that are affected.

No, most often we let you shower and change your own bandages after your first post-op visit. In the past we recommended patients keep the surgery site dry to avoid risk of infection—even clean water can carry contaminants. According to a recent study in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery involving more than 2,000 patients, however, there wasn’t an increased risk of infection in post-op patients who were allowed to bathe their feet before suture removal.

Depending on the severity of your bunion there are many surgical procedures available. With each procedure the goal is to realign the joint, relieve the pain and discomfort, and correct the deformity. Each type of specific procedure to correct a bunion comes with different healing times.

Around 80% of our patients stop taking pain medication 3-4 days after surgery. In mild to moderate cases of bunions, patients are allowed to be weight bearing immediately. In cases where a more severe bunions are corrected, the non-weight bearing period can range from 2 weeks to 2 months after surgery. Our office uses the OnQ Painbuster pain pump to minimize post-operative discomfort for many bunion repair procedures.

The success of your surgery largely depends on you. You will wear postoperative surgical shoes and dressings or a brace for six to eight weeks to ensure proper healing. Our doctors at Dallas Podiatry Works advise you to use a cane or crutches for the first few days. As the wound heals, you can gradually apply pressure and within the first few weeks you may walk short distances. You should be able to drive again within a week, but expect minor swelling for about six months.

It's important to remember that bunion surgery will not allow you to wear a smaller shoe size or narrow-pointed shoes. If you return to ill-fitted shoes, your bunion may reappear.

Pain after bunion surgery varies from patient to patient, but most often it is less painful than what is anticipated.

80% or more of our patients cease using pain medication 3-4 days after surgery. We employ the use of the OnQ Painbuster pain pump to minimize post operative discomfort for many bunion repair procedures.