Bunions!

[Anonymous]

I have bunions. They're relatively small and they don't bother me, I just can't wear tight or narrow shoes. I've had them since I was a child/teen. At what point should I consult with a podiatrist to determine whether or not I will need surgery in the future, and to be proactive? I don't have kids yet but if I knew I'd need surgery at some point, I would probably plan that before having the kids. I also exercise every day w/o problem.

[Anonymous]

I had a bunionectomy after child no. 2 (last) and I wish I had never had it. I was in a foot cast for six weeks - fortunately we did the left foot first, not the right, which is the brake pedal foot - bit deal because you won't be able to drive for six weeks if they do the right foot. I gained 20 pounds which I've never dropped. AND I have now read a lot of medical literature and it says that since there are so many bones, tendons and other things going on in the foot, only less than 30% of all people who have had foot surgery thought it was worth it. I wouldn't do it at all had I known. Also, not disclosed by bunion doctor, was the fact that he was shortening by big toe a LOT by removing the bunion. I had Morton's foot to begin with. Now my second toe is a good half inch longer than my big toe, which looks freakish (you won't want to wear sandal and I am constantly banging the second toe because there is no big toe to protect it. The surgery was such a failure that I never proceeded to have the right foot done. Just wear atheletic shoes and flats. Read up on the success rate of foot surgeries; you'll be surprised.

[Anonymous]

I don't think bunion surgery is necessary for you. There are lots of great podiatrists out there, but some want to do unnecessary procedures to make money. Please be aware of this.

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00140

From thsi website, reasons that you may benefit from bunion surgery commonly include:

Severe foot pain that limits your everyday activities, including walking and wearing reasonable shoes. You may find it hard to walk more than a few blocks (even in athletic shoes) without significant pain.
Chronic big toe inflammation and swelling that doesn't improve with rest or medications.
Toe deformity-a drifting in of your big toe toward the small toes.
Toe stiffness-inability to bend and straighten your toe.
Failure to obtain pain relief from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Their effectiveness in controlling toe pain varies greatly from person to person.
Failure to substantially improve with other treatments such as a change in shoes and anti-inflammatory medication.
As you explore bunion surgery, be aware that so-called "simple" or "minimal" surgical procedures are often inadequate "quick fixes" that can do more harm than good. And beware of unrealistic claims that surgery can give you a "perfect" foot. The goal of surgery is to relieve as much pain, and correct as much deformity as is realistically possible. It is not meant to be cosmetic.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I had no idea that surgery is often unsuccessful. I am sorry to hear about your experience 11:30, but I appreciate you sharing it.

[Anonymous]

Bunion surgery is an absolute last resort. if the bunions don't bother you, it isn't a problem and I wouldn't even see a podiatrist. If they do start to bother you, see a podiatrist but be very cautious if they recommend surgery.

I am a runner and I have a bunion that is now causing me pain when I run, so i think i will have to see a podiatrist. I put moleskin over it when i run, which helps, but I know thats a stopgap measure. I did notice a kind of brace thing sold at the drug store that is supposed to rearrange the foot, and help. Is anyone familiar with that?

[Anonymous]

Any surgery is a last resort! Any. I have bunions, that sometimes hurt---if I push the pointy toes. Podiatrist recommended surgery. I'm praying I can make it through the rest of my life without it! There are orthotics and other things that a podiatrist can provide you with that relieve pain/pressure. Sometimes I have my husband pull on my big toe--away from the other toes----really hard. That offers some relief.

[Anonymous]

pp. again, I'm speaking of medical custom orthotics, not drug store type. I cycle, and my last pair shoes were too narrow in the tox box. Look for wide toe boxed shoes. They are out there without looking like grandma or grandpa.

[Anonymous]

15:57 again. I wasn't referring to orthotics, I already have custom orthotics. This was more of a brace to wear at night. I've never seen anything like this before so I wondering about it.

[Anonymous]

11:30 back. (the person who had a bunionectomy and wished she hadn't). To 17:16 - both of my big toes are drifting towards the second toe. I am wear a plastic toe separator in my athletic shoes (and, yes, I have had custom orthotics for decades). I am now trying those devices that one wears while sleeping that keeps the big toe straight. I showed it to my ortho. surgeon and he said "Well, it can't hurt, but there is a powerful strain going on in an unstable foot so all the bracing at night may not stop the toe from floating." But I'm trying. The braces are uncomfortable at first but you get used to them - or they fall off during the night. But I am trying. I'm glad so many of you are telling OP to avoid surgery unless she can't stand the pain. I was such a fool to let a very famous bone doctor (not a pod.) do this to my foot. Read a lot before you leap. And if you feel sorry for yourself look up hallux rigidus and the type of surgery that requires to fix. That's now my future. Oh yeah, forgot to mention the early onset arthritis due to all of this. Sigh. That alone should keep you from trying unnecessary foot surgery.

[Anonymous]

Sweet Jesus, the failed surgery person is scaring me! NP here and I have extremely painful bunions. I don't care that my feet look deformed but I simply can't stand the crippling pain any more. My feet hurt even in running shoes but the surgery and potential failure sound just as bad

[Anonymous]

Thanks. 17:16 again. I think I'll just go back to my podiatrist and see what he says. I've had bunions for years but this has only gotten painful in the last month or two.

[Anonymous]

19:20 If the bunions are really killling you then by all means consider it. I (11:30) didn't mean to scare anyone off that truly needs the surgery. I just wish now I hadn't done it. Big time. Every day. And I have read the stats - successful foot surgeries occur only about 30% of the time. I wish I had known that before I had my surgery. And I had one of the best in the business do it. I have enormous bunions (one gone now due to the shorter toe, but have the shorter toe) which are either genetic (grandmother had them); due to collapse of arch from aging and weight of pregnancies; semi high heels when working as a professional; and/or 30 years of ballet training. They look awful but they don't HURT. My ankles and feet hurt because they collapsed when I was pregnant and this fancy pants Johns Hopkins surgeon said he could cure my problem wit ha "drop down chevron osteotomy" which is a fancy term for bunionectomy. Didn't work. Lots of pain. Foot in cast for six weeks. Gained weight. And now I have to buy shoes (flats) in two sizes - one for the left foot with the shorter toe and a 1/2 size larger for the right foot with the enormous bunion and hallux rigidus. I am a mess. But there must be a doctor out there that has done a successful bunionectomy? Anyone? (I did ask my ortho. Surgeon when we were discussing surgery for the hallux rigidus. Even he said there were no podatrists or ortho surgeons whom he would recommend anymore. And he no longer does foot work because of the difficulty and intricacy of bones, tendon, etc. - so I have no one to recommend).

[Anonymous]

19:20 again, I will not have the surgery, not ever. I'm not just saying that because of your experience. I'm a runner and I just don't want to run the risk of being unable to do this thing that I love. I would rather run in pain. But I have some faith that my podiatrist can address it. Also, when I put moleskin over the bunion I can run fairly comfortably.

[Anonymous]

I had bunion surgery on one foot and now regret it. While it looked/felt great initially, 15 years later I wish I had left it alone. I now have a severe hammer toe on that foot, and the second and third toes are separated by about 1/2 inch or more. The bottom of that foot hurts, as does the first metatarsal. Because of the pain, I can no longer wear heels - all my shoes have to have "comfort" soles. My other foot, which also has a bunion, is fine.

[Anonymous]

19:20 here. The crippling pain is so bad that I can't imagine going through the rest of my life like that. I can't even wear flats because the shoes usually end up hitting right on top of the bunions, causing pain. I've spent a ton of money on shoes which I can't wear. I bought some Julie Lopez shoes, which are made for bunions, but the heels are 4" which caused too much pressure on the balls of my feet, making my bunion hurt.

Do you all have any recommendations for shoes?