When Do Bunions Require Surgery?

You’re developing a bump on the outside of the base of your big toe. You recognize this common foot deformity — it’s a bunion. Do all bunions require surgery? 

Board-certified foot and ankle reconstructive surgeon and podiatrist Angela Jacob with Precision Foot and Ankle Center is the expert you want to see for your foot care needs. She can answer all of your questions about your bunion. 

How did I get a bunion? 

If you have a bunion, your genes are likely the culprit; 70 percent of patients with bunions have close family members who have had them. 

Bunions may also develop from wearing shoes that force your toes into a toe box that’s too tight, or from a walking gait that puts abnormal pressure on your toe. If you’re a woman who’s worn high heels, much of your weight is on the ball of your foot, pushing your big toe sideways and placing extra pressure on the toe joint. Over time, the normal position of the bone, tendons, and ligaments changes, resulting in the bunion deformity.

Bunions develop over a period of years. You may not notice the changes until your foot begins to rub against your shoe at the base of your big toe or until your big toe starts to turn inward toward your other toes. 

Will my bunion require surgery? 

Dr. Jacob examines your foot, watches you walk to note your gait, and takes X-rays of your foot. She reviews your medical history and asks you questions about how the bunion is affecting you. 

If your bunion isn’t long-standing and isn’t causing you a lot of pain, there’s likely no need for surgery at the current time. On the other hand, if the bunion has already caused a fairly severe foot deformity in which your big toe is leaning in toward your other toes, you have a large bump on the side of your foot, and you’re in pain when you walk, then you probably need surgery now.  

Treatment for your bunion 

If your bunion isn’t causing you undue pain or interfering with your daily life, nonsurgical treatment may stop its progression.

If you’re feeling pain when you walk, icing the bunion and using over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers can help. Dr. Jacob may recommend a bunion splint you can wear at night. It slips over your big toe and keeps your foot in proper alignment at night. 

It’s time to invest in proper footwear. Visit a reputable shoe store and ask them to measure your foot to ensure proper fit. Your new shoes should have a wide area for your toes, unlike that of pointy-toed shoes or high heels. Proper arch support is necessary; avoid flip flops. 

Dr. Jacob may recommend custom orthotics to wear inside your shoes. These custom insoles are made in a lab and are specifically designed to correct faulty foot mechanics. They relieve pressure on your big toe and correct your walking gait. Take the custom orthotics with you to the shoe store. You’ll need to increase your shoe size to accommodate the orthotics. 

Bunion surgery

Dr. Jacobs performs the most advanced bunion surgery available today. Minimally-invasive lapiplasty surgery creates normal alignment of your bones, tendons, and ligaments and corrects your unstable foot joint that started the bunion progression. 

Call Precision Foot and Ankle Center or book an appointment online today if you have a bunion, and for all of your foot and ankle needs.