Bunion Surgery, What to Expect
JBR Clinical Research will soon begin a pain management study following bunion surgery. If you suffer from bunions and have difficulty wearing shoes or walking you may be a candidate for bunion surgery. Visit our website and fill out the form to see if you may be a candidate for this clinical trial.
If you have a bunion and qualify to participate, here is some information that may interest you. Generally bunion surgery involves an incision at the joint of the big toe, on the top or the side, realigning the soft tissue and bone. This surgery is done to alleviate pain (although there are no guarantees the surgery will remove all pain) and restore the alignment of the joint. If there is a severe joint deformity, the procedure may be more involved including wires, stitches, screws or plates.
What to expect during surgery:
- A local anesthetic that affects only the foot is commonly used, a sedative may be used depending on the circumstances
- The procedure usually only takes an hour
- It is an outpatient surgery
What to expect after surgery:
- Keep foot covered and stitches dry when showering or bathing
- Stitches are typically removed 7-21 days after surgery
- If pins are used they are removed typically 3-4 weeks post surgery, but in some cases are left in for 6 weeks
- Walking casts, splints or special shoes are sometimes used. Regular shoes can be worn at about 4-6 weeks post surgery.
- Most regular activities can be resumed 6-8 weeks post surgery
- After some types of bunion surgeries no weight can be put on the foot for 6-8 weeks. Then partial weight and possibly a special shoe or boot may be worn to help the bones and soft tissue heal.
Recovery is typically about 6 weeks, but sometimes up to 6 months depending on how much soft tissue and bone were affected.
