Bunion Surgery, not getting it?
 

Current position is not to get bunion surgery. Bunion is obvious, great toe angled, however other than cosmetic reasons I am not really having any problems. Been like that for a while, told it is hereditary.
Anyone have a similiar situation and just not get the surgery?

As long as you aren’t in pain, would wait, once too painful to walk then look for an ortho guy who specializes

Wife's nephew just had it done. . . no issues,
Wife's retired friend had it awhile ago and got a spinal infection months later.

Surgery carries risk, and so choose what's necessary to maintain health and lifestyle

YMMV

A doctor relative told me, "Don't put yourself under the knife unless you really have to".

To some extent, it depends on the operation being considered, but infections are always a possibility and can end up causing more problems than the surgery fixed (including death).

I had it done due to pain. Had to have revision because of bad technique many years ago. You might want to have any revisions done by an orthopedic doctor that specializes in feet. That's just my opinion. I had problems with podiatrists. Just my experience.

Please don't tell me your wife's friend thinks her "spinal infection" months later had anything to do with her correction of hallux valgus. I'd love to hear the medical details of that. Dr. J. Minter on TOTV is a foot surgeon, I'm sure he'd like to weigh in as well. But in either case I hope she had a full recovery.

Generalized story, exact medical facts not known.True story as related second hand from mutual golf friends. story is marked as believable when told in golfing circles. . . :1rotfl: :1rotfl:

Yes, i can understand your position. . she had had back issues while recovering from surgery in her boot, and finally the pain was diagnosed several months later as a spinal infection as the source of her back pain, admitted then and there into the hospital for IV for a several/many weeks.

As you well know, doctors diagnose and treat symptoms and health issues, regardless of source. Source is most often times unknown with certainty, therefore, doctors don't like to speculate on sources without data/facts. . . and its impossible to research situations like this to prove facts.

so from a medical point of view, you are correct. From a risk point of view, all surgeries carry risk, both immediate and longer term, and the risk increases as one ages, most likely exponentially, which was my only point. . regardless of medically proven or not. . regardless of direct or indirect affects. ..

as I ended with YMMV

Yeah, that one puzzled me, as well...

I had surgery on both feet because mine were very painful. Worked like a charm.

Agree with part one...

Disagree with part two...

Every patient has a different pain threshold. I've had patients jogging 3-4 weeks after bunion surgery and others that took 3-4 months to recover...

There aren't a lot of orthopedic foot specialists. They are becoming more common, but most still specialize in knees, hips, shoulders, hands etc...

I did train the orthopedic residents in foot surgery at my hospital. But most showed little interest in it...

Most of the "ortho guys" aren't as up to date on the newer procedures...

I've had to revise more than a few of their surgeries because they did the same procedure, regardless of the type of deformity...

And picking the proper procedure is vital to having a good outcome...

Unless she had a post-op infection after her foot surgery, I can't fathom how that could have been the source of an infection elsewhere in the body...

But, like GE said... I hope she recovered from her spinal infection...

JMintzer... thanks for your input re this topic.

I have the condition on my left foot. Visually obvious but no pain unless I press on the bottom of my foot just behind the ball.

I just got through plantar fasciitis on both feet,?(two months apart), with injections and correct orthotics. I didn’t realize how painful PF was until struggling with it for almost a year.

I don’t plan to do anything with bunion till necessary.