Bunion Surgery in Fresno, CA
Bunions are a painful but common foot deformity. While lifestyle changes and home care are often enough to manage symptoms and slow the progression of the disease; unfortunately, when a bunion gets so large or painful that it impacts mobility or your daily routine, it’s time to talk to our podiatric team at All Valley Podiatric Group about bunion surgery.
Causes of Bunions
Bunions can be caused by a genetic bone deformity, which makes the big toe joint protrude outward. The joint rubs against the inside of the shoe, causing irritation, inflammation, and eventually, bunion formation. You can also develop a bunion from:
- Having flat feet
- Experiencing an injury to your foot or toe
- Wearing shoes that are too narrow
When to Consider Bunion Surgery
Let’s be clear—bunion surgery is not even a consideration until our team has exhausted all other nonsurgical treatment options. Surgery is not to be entered into lightly. Bunion surgery is elective, which means that the patient and our team have to decide together that surgery truly is the best way to correct the deformity. If you are in persistent pain and nothing seems to be working, this is a sign that you could be a candidate for bunion surgery.
Undergoing Bunion Surgery
Bunion surgery has gotten a bad rap, but you’ll be relieved to hear that advanced technology has enabled the team at All Valley Podiatric Group to provide endoscopic bunion surgery. This means smaller incisions, less post-surgical discomfort and pain, and a faster recovery. While there are over 100 different bunion surgery techniques, the goal is always the same: to cut and realign the bone and improve the alignment of surrounding tendons and ligaments. Pins are inserted into the bone to hold it in place.
The Recovery Process After Bunion Surgery
You’ll be able to go home immediately after surgery. Of course, we know that pain management is a top priority. We will discuss pain management with you and provide a prescription pain reliever that you can take to ease pain and discomfort for the first couple of days after surgery. If you undergo endoscopic surgery, you’ll find that the pain subsides within 48 hours. You will need to stay off your foot entirely. You’ll come into our office in about two weeks to ensure everything is healing correctly. From there, we will upgrade you to a protective boot. It usually takes about 12 weeks for the bone to heal and about 3-4 months to fully recover (which means you can return to all your everyday activities, including athletic activities).