Bunion surgery

by Carrie
(Indianapolis, IN)

I had Bunion surgery over 10 years ago and my foot is killing me

I had bunion surgery over 10 years ago and the past month my foot has been killing me I can't hardly walk on my big toe, and it swelling up do I need to do the surgery over again

RESPONSE

Hi Carrie,

I wish I knew how old you are as that would help me along here with giving you advice but in any event let me try.
First off, it has only been a month. Many of us experience aches and pains that seem to linger, but eventually do resolve themselves. This could end up being the case with your bunion.
Bunion pain is essentially arthritis pain and arthritic flare ups come and go.
So, before I would rush to the doctors you might want to consider giving it a little more time. In this period I would take a look at the shoes that you wear on a regular basis and eliminate the ones that seem to make your foot hurt more, such as high heels and very narrow fronts.
Yes, I know that suggestion means giving up dressy shoes, but at least for now, it is a way to determine if your problem is a worsening of the arthritis in the big toe joint or perhaps just inflammation from wearing poor designed shoes for your feet.
So, if you wait another month and have eliminated all stylish shoes and your bunion continues to hurt, then I would suggest you see a local foot specialist.
It is important to understand that bunion surgery will fix the initial bunion problem, but the tendency to form bunions is always there and bunions for most people are progressive deformities meaning they will continue to worsen over time.
You had your bunion repaired ten years ago and now you have pain again. Will this pain, if it continues, require further surgery? It might.
The problem here and again I wish I knew how old you are, is that suppose you are relatively young and have a second surgery, does that mean ten years from now you will require another surgery? Possibly!
The problem with multiple surgeries on the same part of the body, in this case, your big toe joint, is that surgeons never come close to doing the kind of job mother nature did when we were put together in the first place.
Each subsequent surgery creates more scar tissue and possibly lessens the motion in the big toe joint ultimately leading to quicker pain in the bunion joint down the road.
I am not saying you will not require a second procedure, as I do not have the luxury of actually examining you, but I what I would say is that before you jump into surgery you try a couple of other things.
Not to belabor the point, but your shoe selection as discussed earlier may be part of the problem. Changing the type of shoe that you wear on a regular basis can go a long way in reducing your pain.
Trying physical therapy may also be an option worth exploring as you may just be having a "flare up" and physical therapy could very well quiet your foot down.
Additionally life style changes such as any athletic activities you participate in may have to be modified.
Lastly, most people develop bunions due to the way their feet function in gait. For most, it is due to too much pronation, or excessive flattening of the feet. If you exhibit that kind of foot structure than that has to be addressed as well and controlled, otherwise, even with a second surgery, you will almost be guaranteed a recurrence.
So in closing, give it another month, take a look at your shoes and if the pain continues, see a foot specialist, but before you consent to additional surgery, see if there are other options available to you.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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