Young People Considering Surgery For Bunions

When you think of bunions, you likely think of older people who can't get their shoes on because of the bony prominence.
But bunions are a foot condition that attacks both young and old people. Take Kacey Barker, 26, of , who found herself with a pretty bad bunion. "Mine got progressively worse over the years. With all the sports and wear and tear... anything and everything was bothering it," Barker told the Wall Street Journal.

Haverhill, Massachusetts
The pain from the bunion had become so severe that Barker had to stop all athletic activities, including running, field hockey, and softball. After a charity walk last fall, she couldn't take the pain any longer and decided to have surgery to correct the deformity. She went to see Dr. James Ioli, chief of podiatry at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, who performed a chevron, which involves cutting the front part of the first metatarsal into a "V", moving the bone, and holding the sections together with screws. Six weeks later, she's still in a surgical boot and has another six weeks to recover. Barker's goal is to be pain-free on the dance floor at her wedding in September.
"A lot of my friends thought bunions were for women who are old or who wear high-heeled shoes for decades," says Barker, who normally wears sensible, supportive shoes. "It's definitely not something to take lightly. But for me, I'm excited to just be able to get back into a normal routine."
Claudia Ngo, 22, went to see Dr. Neil Blitz, chief of foot surgery at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center for her bunion in July. She received a bunionplasty, which is a cosmetic approach to the correction of bunions. "I always tried to hide, wearing socks and shoes around my friends or a blanket on the couch. In college I would wear heels... so they actually got bigger," said Ngo, of Bethesda, Maryland.
The first podiatrist she went to recommended she wait for bunion surgery and to only have them corrected if they were causing her pain. Ngo had pain after she wore heels all day or after working out, but not on a regular basis.
After Dr. Blitz performed the surgery on her right foot, she was able to walk with a surgical shoe right away. "After four weeks I was wearing regular shoes. Now I'm really happy with the results, it looks perfect," says Ngo, who plans on having the procedure done on her left foot this year.
Meghan Morrison's bunions haven't progressed to the same degree that Ngo's and Barker's did, but she's keeping an eye on them. So far the 27 year old graduate student from Nashville, Tennessee is using conservative treatment therapies, like avoiding high heels, wearing flat, wide shoes with support and padding. But if the bunions get worse, she will have surgery. "I don't want my feet to end up looking insane and horrific. And if it ever got to a point where I couldn't walk or be active I would definitely do it," says Morrison.
Reference: Wall Street Journal.
If you have a bunion, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, friend and like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.

10 Tips For Bunion Surgery Recovery

1. Even though it might be tempting and you feel up to it, avoid walking immediately after bunion surgery as it  may prevent proper bone and tissue healing.
2. During the first 3-5 days after surgery, keep your foot elevated as often as possible.
3. To keep inflammation down, ice your foot 4-5 times for 20 minutes throughout the day.
4. If your podiatrist prescribed a surgical shoe or walking boot for use after your surgery, make sure to wear it. The purpose of these shoes is to keep your healing toe in place. Walking too soon in street shoes will compromise your healing process.
5. Water and excessive moisture near the scar may introduce bacteria that can infect the fresh wound. When taking a shower or bath, wrap your foot in plastic bags with a rubber band to keep water out.
6. Take your full course of antibiotic medication to prevent infection.
7. If your podiatrist prescribes physical therapy to repair mobility in the joint, go for the prescribed length and be good about doing the stretches at home.
8. Talk with your podiatrist about what stretches you can be doing at home, if no physical therapy is prescribed.
9. Invest in several pairs of good quality shoes, sneakers, boots, etc. When your feet have the right support, the opportunity for foot deformities to occur or recur is less.
10. If you have the following symptoms immediately after bunion surgery, call your podiatric surgeon right away: fever, warmth and burning in scar area, inability to tolerate pain, or medication side effects.
Reference: http://www.healtharticles101.com/10-tips-for-successful-bunion-surgery-recovery/
If you have a bunion, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, friend and like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.

Related articles

• 6 Myths About Bunion Surgery
• What Are My Options For Bunion Surgery?

What Are My Options For Bunion Surgery?

You and your podiatric surgeon have decided that your painful bunions need to be surgically removed. Since there are so many options for removing the bunion, how does your podiatrist decide which one is best for you?
There are two ways a podiatrist selects which procedure is best suited for you. First, they will give you a clinical exam, which shows the range of motion available, the pain experienced with motion and footwear, and the mobility of the big toe and associated joints. Then, they will look at your x-rays. From this they will see the positive or negative findings of arthritic change due to joint cartilage and bone, the angle between the big toe and the second toe, and finally the length and position of the big toe.
Most procedures will include a "bumpectomy", which shaves off the part of the bone that is sticking out beyond the natural line of your foot. Inner muscles of the great toe may also be cut to prevent the big toe from crossing over to the second toe.
In a situation where the joint is severely arthritic and painful, one of the joint resection procedures would be the best option for you. Joint replacement is an implant that allows for minimal and pain-free motion. Joint fusion is a fusion of the metatarsal bone and the big toe. Joint resection procedures greatly reduce and even eliminate the pain associated with the bunion, but can also greatly decrease the range of motion.
For those who have a mild to moderate bunion, with a slight angle between the first and second toes, the surgical procedure usually involves moving the head of the metatarsal inward by making a sideways triangular cut called an Austin, or modified Austin. Once the cut has been made, the first toe is moved back towards the second toe and fixated. The benefits of this procedure is that there is a faster recovery time, easier healing, and the correction is very stable. The downside is that this procedure is only for mild to moderate bunions.
Moderate bunion procedures involve the shaft of the metatarsal. If the angle of the metatarsal is too great for a head procedure, meaning that the head could not be moved over for correction and be considered stable, then your podiatrist will instead make a cut in the shaft of the metatarsal, allowing for less movement and more correction. The benefit of having this procedure done is the angle of your big toe will be closer to what it used to be and the base of the toe will likely be hypermobile. Cons include a longer recovery, less stability, and a greater surgical expertise.
A base procedure is done when there is a very high angle between the first and second metatarsal. A metatarsal base procedure allows for slight movement inwards and great angle correction.
If you are suffering from a bunion, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, friend and like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.

Related articles

• 8 Stretches For Bunions
• What's That Bump on My Big Toe?
• Can I Have A Bunion On the Outside Of My Foot?
• Bunion Surgery Helped Nigella Lawson Lose Weight

6 Myths About Bunion Surgery

This article was adapted from Dr. Neil Blitz's article that appeared in the Huffington Post.
Myth 1: Bunion surgery is extremely painful.
Overall, bunion surgery is not more painful than other general surgeries. Foot surgery can lend itself to post-operative pain because of the foot's location below the heart and the likelihood of blood rushing to the area,

creating that throbbing feeling. There is also not a lot of soft tissue surrounding the bones on the foot, so post-operative swelling can aggravate the nerves. However, most patients who experience post-operative pain find relief with pain medication.
Myth 2: Even after surgery, bunions can come back.
Not necessarily! It's not likely bunions will recur, like warts or fungal toenails. Some patients however have excessive motion in the foot that predisposes them to bunions. Others continue to wear improper footwear and bad habits. As well, the surgery that was performed the first time may not have been suitable for the bunion's severity.
Myth 3: You'll have to wear an ugly cast and go on crutches.
Maybe that was true back in the 1970's or 1980's, but podiatry has made many advancements and improvements over the past 30 years. Modern technology allows podiatrists to get their patients walking much quicker. For mild bunions, you can expect to wear a surgical shoe for six weeks (not stylish, we know, but much better than a cast!). Larger and more severe bunions sometimes require a cast and crutches, but that's because setting the bones is very complex. Some podiatrists don't even cut the bone anymore but perform instead a procedure called Lapidus bunionectomy, a fusion that allows for the realignment of the deviated bone.
Myth 4: You'll be out of work forever.
If you have a desk job, expect to be back at work within two weeks. Jobs where you are on your feet, require excessive walking or physical activity may require a leave of absence up to two months. Driving may be a problem if your right foot is operated on.
Myth 5: A bunion shouldn't be fixed unless it's painful.
Not always. Bunions that continue to grow, interfere with activity, or certain shoes cannot be worn anymore, can be removed. It is the preference of our podiatrists that the bunion be painful before we remove it.
Myth 6: You'll have gross scars after surgery.
As with most surgeries, there will some scarring afterwards. The incision for the surgery is either on the top of the foot or the the side of the foot. Your surgeon's methods of closing will vary by the individual; some may perform a plastic-surgery type closure.
If you are suffering from a bunion, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, friend and like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.

Reference: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/neal-m-blitz/bunion-surgery_b_1349607.html

Related articles

• 8 Stretches For Bunions
• Can I Have A Bunion On the Outside Of My Foot?
• What's That Bump on My Big Toe?
• Bunion Surgery Helped Nigella Lawson Lose Weight