Bunions are a medical condition affecting the joint at your big toe and surrounding area. They are most often inherited and developed due to the way you walk.
Over time a bunion can cause significant damage to your big toe and surrounding bone. You may feel pain, a bump on the side of your toe, joint inflammation, or deformity.
If you have a bunion and have been debating whether or not you should have surgery, this article will guide you through the technique of surgical realignment. To know more, check out https://www.bunioninstitute.com/chevron-osteotomy-bunion-surgery/, or you can read below.
Preparing for Surgical Realignment
Before your surgery, you’ll need a complete physical exam, including blood and urine tests. Your doctor will also ask for a detailed medical history and require information about any medications or supplements you take.
Your doctor may order x-rays to confirm the diagnosis of a bunion deformity. X-rays can also show whether a bone spur is present at the base of the big toe, which may indicate the presence of arthritis in addition to the bunion itself.
They will require you not to eat or drink anything on the day of your surgery.
Your doctor will ask you to shower with antibacterial soap before arriving at the hospital and bring clean clothes so you can leave right after surgery.
During the Surgical Realignment
First, your surgeon will make an incision over the base of your big toe joint to expose the abnormal bump and other areas of misalignment.
Then, they will use a small saw or drill to remove portions of bone and cartilage from your toe joint.
Once done, your surgeon will realign and stabilize your joint using pins or screws.
Finally, they will close up the incision with stitches or staples and wrap your foot with a bandage.
Recovering from the Surgical Realignment
After surgery, you may experience the following:
- pain
- swelling
- bruising
They will likely wrap your foot in a cast or splint. As a result, you must stay off your feet for weeks while your foot heals.
You have to use crutches to help you walk until the swelling goes down. However, it can take several months for your pain and discomfort to disappear completely.
If you’ve had other surgeries on your foot, you may experience longer recovery times than others who have bunions corrected with surgery alone.
You also may need physical therapy exercises to help strengthen and stretch the muscles in your feet following surgery.
These exercises will help prevent stiffening of the joints around the bunion area after surgery and ensure that your ankle joint is moving correctly again.
Final Thoughts
Bunion realignment surgery has been gaining popularity due to its high success rate and minimal recovery time, making it one of the top ways to treat your bunion.
However, you shouldn’t consider the procedure lightly; you should consult a podiatrist or doctor and undergo proper pre-surgical preparation before taking that fateful step into the operating room.
It’s also important to remember that people develop bunions over time, so surgical treatment shouldn’t be sought as a quick fix once symptoms develop.
There isn’t a cure for bunions, but surgical realignment is one of the most effective ways to treat them.
