Bunion treatment

Women are particularly likely to get them: bunions, also known as hallux valgus or crooked toe. A bunion is a misalignment of the big toe in which it bends further and further outwards, crowding the little toes. Over the long term, this painful condition can cause arthritis of the big toe (hallux rigidus). People with this condition will notice that the big toe joint becomes swollen. Not only will the big toe itself be painful, but by crowding the little toes, it leads to corns, calluses and irritated skin throughout the toe area. Shoes exert pressure on the resulting ganglion cyst, creating calluses. The pressure may also result in bursitis. Other possible consequences include pain in the midfoot and forefoot areas, and the deformation of little toes into hammer toes or claw toes. How do we deal with this? As a first step, conservative treatments and measures can help to alleviate the pain: wide shoes, orthotics (shoe inlays) and foot exercises can stop the misalignment from becoming worse. If this does not help, an operation is usually called for to prevent the big toe from becoming stiff and causing other problems as a result. The surgery should not only eliminate the pain, but also achieve the best results aesthetically, so that our patients can enjoy a healthy sense of well-being. The goal is to lastingly straighten the big toe and retain the health of the joint before it is destroyed by arthritis. We correct the muscles and tendons so that they will no longer be subjected to the immense pressure caused by the misalignment. There are various procedures available for doing this, depending on how far the illness has progressed. We talk with our patients to determine which method best suits their needs, whether a minimally invasive procedure or a more extensive operation might be required, and the location on the foot where we should operate. Patients can walk immediately after the operation thanks to special postoperative shoes. The full healing process takes between six and eight weeks.