Surgery
Procedures are designed and chosen to correct a variety of pathologies that may be associated with the bunion. For instance, procedures may address some combination of:
- removing the abnormal bony enlargement of the first metatarsal,
- realigning the first metatarsal bone relative to the adjacent metatarsal bone,
- straightening the great toe relative to the first metatarsal and adjacent toes,
- realigning the cartilagenous surfaces of the great toe joint,
- addressing arthritic changes associated with the great toe joint,
- repositioning the sesamoid bones beneath the first metatarsal bone,
- shortening, lengthening, raising, or lowering the first metatarsal bone, and
- correcting any abnormal bowing or misalignment within the great toe.
At present there are many different bunion surgeries for different effects. The age, health, lifestyle, and activity level of the patient may also play a role in the choice of procedure.
Bunion surgery can be performed under local, spinal, or general anesthetic. The trend has moved strongly toward using the less invasive local anesthesia over the years. A patient can expect a 6- to 8-week recovery period during which crutches are usually required for aid in mobility. An orthopedic cast is much less common today as newer, more stable procedures and better forms of fixation (stabilizing the bone with screws and other hardware) are used. Hardware may even include absorbable pins that perform their function and are then broken down by the body over the course of months.
Famous quotes containing the word surgery:
“Ever since surgery began, man’s destiny has been to suffer, in order that he might be cured. And no one can change that, gentlemen.”
—Jean Scott Rogers, and Robert Day. Mr. Blount (Frank Pettingell)
“Ever since surgery began, man’s destiny has been to suffer, in order that he might be cured. And no one can change that, gentlemen.”
—Jean Scott Rogers. Robert Day. Mr. Blount (Frank Pettingell)
“It is difficult for me to imagine the same dedication to women’s rights on the part of the kind of man who lives in partnership with someone he likes and respects, and the kind of man who considers breast-augmentation surgery self-improvement.”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)