Post Surgery Bunion Pain

A bunion refers to a foot deformity characterized by a bump on the inside border of the foot. The bump, or the bunion, is comprised of bone and soft tissue. It forms when the bone of the foot that joins the first metatarsal and the big toe becomes more prominent than it should, and the bone begins to jut out. A bunion can be quite painful, and surgery can correct this pain, however it is important to have reasonable expectations about bunion surgery.

What to Expect

• According to Your Orthopedic Connection, between 85 and 90 percent of patients who undergo bunion surgery are satisfied with the reduced level of pain achieved by the surgery. However, bunion surgery has certain limitations. It is not cosmetic, and will not correct the appearance of the foot, nor will it allow you to wear a smaller shoe size or certain shoes (like high heels). In fact, wearing improper shoes after surgery is a major source of post-surgical bunion pain, and can cause the bunion to return.

The Surgery

• Bunion surgery itself is generally performed under anesthesia and is not particularly painful. There are several different types of bunion surgery. The first type involves repairing tissue in the toe which has become too tight on one side and too lose on the other as a result of the bunion. The second type is called and the procedure entails the removal of the damaged joints of the toe, followed by the insertion of screws, plates or wires. Exostectomy, the third type, simply removes the bump on the toe joint. This procedure is uncommon because it doesn't resolve any drifting of the big toe that is occurring and so pain may persist after the surgery as a result of the big toe drifting and stretching bone. The fourth type, called a resection arthroplasty, removes the damaged parts of the toe and realigns the toe.

After the Surgery

• In order to avoid problems after the surgery, such as infection or other damage to the foot which may cause pain, it is essential to follow the doctor's instructions for post-operative care. There will be bandages on the foot to keep the toe in place, and you will need to wear special shoes in order to protect the toe while it is heeling. If you fail to keep the bandages dry, infection could occur and cause a number of painful symptoms. If you fail to wear the proper shoes to keep the toe in place while healing, the bunion could reoccur. You may be advised to use a walker, cane or other support device for several weeks following surgery, in order to avoid pain from walking on the bandaged foot and to prevent interfering with the healing process. You should also keep your foot elevated and apply ice to the foot to relieve any swelling, inflammation or pain caused by the surgery. Post-operative swelling can last up to six months after surgery, and it is essential to wear soft, loose shoes to accommodate the swelling and avoid pain. Physical therapy may also be recommended to strengthen the foot.

Pain After Surgery

• Following the surgery, the flexibility of the big toe joint may be permanently impacted. Furthermore, the Your Orthopedic Connection site suggests that in rare cases nerve damage to the toe might occur during surgery, which causes lingering tingling or burning pain in the toe. Surgical complications, such as infection or side effects from pain medication, may also cause pain.

Pain From Recurrence

• Peace Health suggests that 33 percent of people are not happy with the results of the bunion surgery. While the patients report reduced pain, the reasons these patients are unhappy are not clear. Peace Health speculates that it is possible that the reduced motion on the joint and/or the lifetime restrictions on shoe styles may be a factor responsible for unhappiness.

  Following surgery, a patient is restricted from ever wearing narrow shoes and advised against wearing high heeled shoes. If improper shoes are worn, the bunion is likely to reoccur, and this recurrence has all the symptoms associated with the initial bunion, including pain in the foot.