Surgery is always a stressful time in someone’s life. You put all your trust in a doctor and his or her team’s abilities. But there’s always a slim possibility that something could go wrong. When you are going in for bunion surgery as your last resort, after all the pain and discomfort you’ve gone through, the last thing you want to hear or witness is something that goes wrong. And even if surgery corrects them, what if your bunions reoccur?
What is Bunion Surgery?
Although there are a couple hundred of different surgeries that could be used to correct bunions, doctors normally choose from a handful of techniques, because the majority of bunions can generally be corrected by the same type of operation.
The general idea behind the operation is that the doctor realigns the displaced bones. Normally, there is little shaving of the bone, however, that procedure might also take place. The realigning of the bones can be done by two ways:
• Osteotomy: Cutting the bone
According to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, almost three-quarters of patients who underwent osteotomy had bunions that recurred or experienced some sort of deformity after the initial successful correction. This type of surgery involves cutting the bones to realign them They are generally placed back together with pins, plates or screws.
• Fusion: Mending the bone
You can also have an operation where these two methods are conjoined. For example, the surgeon can shave the bump down and then realign the foot. Depending on the severity and type of your problem the solution will differ. Talk to your surgeon and doctor before you go into surgery to know fully which procedure they will use.
The Ultimate Question: Will My Bunion Come Back?
Depending on a various amount of aspects, from a patient to the doctor, there are possible complications that can occur during surgery. Not only is it possible that something can go wrong during the operation, your bunion also has the possibility of coming back — especially if you are a younger patient.
There is good news, though! Normally, through a proper surgery and with a good reaction from you, the patient, your bunion will normally stay corrected for years. However, just like with any undergoing operation, there is a possibility that something could go wrong.
The one thing to completely understand is that normally, these surgeries are undergone simply to correct the bunion that’s in place at the moment. Therefore, the possibility of a bunion coming back is always possible.
The reason behind this is that bunions are generally caused by an abnormal movement of a set of joints that are found right below the ankle joint. Although it may take a few to several years for your bunion to come back (and in poor circumstances— a matter of months), the thing to understand is that it is possible, simply because of the structure of your foot and not a mistake from anyone.
What Does a Failed Bunion Surgery Look Like?
Although you’ve heard of it, you want to believe it hasn’t happened to you. However, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you are probably a “victim” of failed bunion surgery.
Failed Bunion Surgery Syndrome has:
• The reappearance of a Bunion
• Another Big Toe Problem with Structure
• Extreme stunt in Big Toe (it’s much shorter than others)
• The appearance of Arthritis in the Big Toe Joint
• Severe Stiffness in the Big Toe Joint
Having these symptoms can mean that your operation has failed and not healed what you went in for. The causes of these issues can either be from a mistake the doctor made, your reaction to the operation or just complications that stemmed from nobody.
If you have a failed bunion surgery, normally, the solution is to have another operation, called revision bunion surgery.
As we mentioned before, it’s possible that the bunion can come back with time, especially if you are a young patient. However, if it does come quickly again after the initial surgery, there could be a variety of reasons why it went wrong.
Structurally speaking, the bunion surgery was a “failure” and your bunion has returned because:
• The surgery was underestimating the severity of the issue and your bunion.
• The surgery didn’t resolve excessive motion in your foot: (if have extreme flexibility in your foot, the bunion can easily come back due to all the space and motion)
Is It Worth It?
After learning what all could of wrong, sometimes an operation is your only option. Although this surgery takes up to six months of recovery, possibly a whole year for complete recuperation, and has plenty of risks that come along with it — sometimes it’s simply just your only option.
The main thing to learn here before you undergo bunion surgery is this. The operation does not cure the cause of your bunion, it is simply correcting the bunion itself. In a short explanation, that’s why it is possible that the bunion can reoccur.
In more basic terms, surgery can just simply be a quick fix. Therefore, after exhausting all your prior options, it’s important to realize that even if surgery is your last resort, it might not completely rid you of bunions for the rest of your life. Although there are instances where it could never come back, the percentage of it coming back are rather high.
Before you undergo any sort of surgery for your bunion, or in general for that matter, you should speak to your doctor. Bfore going, prepare yourself with any questions you may have. Although your doctor knows a lot, it’s you who truly knows best for yourself — and to recognize the sort of pain that you may or may not have to deal with.
Surgery isn’t any sort of “light” business. Any type of surgery requires a recovery or rehabilitation period. It takes a life change and ultimately, it comes with risks. Make sure you know everything you can before you decide to dive into your decision.
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