Bunions are foot deformities that cannot be reversed non-surgically. If a bunion specialist in the Sugar Land area diagnoses you with this condition, it means that you have an abnormal, bony bump that protrudes away from the foot. This bump develops at the base of the big toe. Even if you’re not sure if you’re ready to have surgery, you should talk to a specialist about your conservative treatment options. Simple lifestyle changes, like a change in footwear, can help prevent bunions from getting worse.

Asymptomatic bunions might not require surgery.

The surgical realignment of the toe is a serious procedure. If your condition isn’t causing painful symptoms, your doctor will likely recommend that you avoid surgical intervention. It’s possible to develop chronic pain in the area after surgery, even if you didn’t have pain there beforehand. On the other hand, your doctor may determine that surgery is an appropriate option for you if any of the following problems apply to you.

• You have chronic inflammation that isn’t relieved with rest or medicine.
• You’re no longer able to bend and straighten the affected toe.
• You’re experiencing pain despite lifestyle modifications and medications.
• You suffer from significant foot pain that interferes with your daily activities.

There are several types of bunion surgery.

Bunion surgery is complex, and there are several approaches your doctor could use. The technique used on your foot depends on the underlying cause of the deformity. An osteotomy involves cutting the bone and realigning the ends. The bone pieces are held in place with surgical hardware like screws or pins. An osteotomy may be performed in combination with soft tissue correction, if your soft tissues are too tight on one side of the toe, and too loose on the other side. Other surgical options include arthrodesis and resection arthroplasty.

You have a few anesthesia options.

It usually isn’t necessary to have general anesthesia for bunion surgery. Some patients have the operation with just local anesthesia, which numbs the foot. Regional anesthesia is injected at the knee area to numb some of the leg above the foot. Spinal anesthesia eliminates all feeling below the waist. If you choose local, regional, or spinal anesthesia, you may decide to request a sedative to help you stay relaxed during the procedure.

Are you in need of bunion surgery in Sugar Land? If so, then read on to learn about the reasons why this option might not be effective for every patient.

Bunionectomies do not work for everyone.

When conservative treatments fail to resolve a patient’s bunion, then foot specialists frequently recommend a bunionectomy. In this type of surgery, only the bony prominence is removed. This simple, surgical bunion treatment can work well for some patients, but may not be effective for individuals who have severe bunions.

Bunion surgery isn’t always a permanent solution.

For some patients, surgery is not effective long-term because of a recurrence of the bunion. Although your foot surgeon may be able to effectively treat your current bunion and the symptoms that it causes through surgery, this does not guarantee that the bunion will not reform. If you choose to continue wearing high heels or narrow-toed shoes after your treatment, then the recurrence of the bunion becomes more likely.

Bunion surgery doesn’t meet everyone’s expectations.

Some patients decide to undergo bunion surgery because they are dissatisfied with the appearance of their feet. While bunion surgery is likely to improve the aesthetics of your foot, it may not completely restore its original appearance. Also, some patients are unhappy with the reduced flexibility in their big toe joint that can occur. Before undergoing bunion surgery, it’s essential to discuss your expectations with your doctor and to gain a good understanding of your probable outcomes.

Bunion surgery is not always successful.

As with any other surgery, it’s possible for bunion surgery to fail, and there are a number of complications associated with bunion surgery of which every patient should be aware. Prolonged swelling, infection, and deep vein thrombosis can result from this treatment. Some of the other possible complications include over- or under-correction, loss of correction, joint stiffness, and nerve entrapment. Speak with your doctor to gain a full understanding of the possible complications associated with bunion surgery.

If you have ruptured an Achilles tendon, the road to recovery can be lengthy. Your foot doctor in Sugar Land will guide you through the process and help you understand what to expect at each stage, so you can move past your foot pain and regain your mobility.

Watch this video to hear from a patient who is recovering from an Achilles tendon injury. Once your foot doctor has said you can drive and resume most of your normal activities, you will still need to be cautious about how much weight you put on the injury site. Being active will help prevent stiffness and foot pain, but stick to activities that are approved by your foot specialists until you have healed completely.

If you suffer from foot pain and previously underwent surgery to address that pain, only to find that your pain got worse afterwards, you may need to undergo reconstructive surgery to repair the previous mistake. Your foot doctor in Sugar Land can evaluate your foot to determine if an additional surgery could benefit you.

One of the common reasons why patients seek reconstructive foot surgery is because screws placed during the initial surgery have since become damaged or loose. It’s also possible that you did not heal properly after your surgery, resulting in additional pain. Some patients suffer from continued pain because too much bone was removed during their first surgery. It’s also possible that the foot surgeon who performed the initial surgery was not experienced enough to do so correctly. The good news is that reconstructive surgery can help to repair the problem that occurred after your first surgery so that you can get relief from your symptoms.

If you’ve visited a podiatrist or a foot specialist for diagnosis and treatment of a foot problem, and have since noticed that your symptoms or ailments have reoccurred, you may be a great candidate for reconstructive foot surgery. The non-invasive treatments that were provided by your previous podiatrist may not have been effective, or you may have opted for foot surgery and found that your symptoms later returned. A podiatrist specializing in reconstructive foot surgery near Sugar Land will be able to offer you some relief.

Non-Invasive Treatments Were Ineffective
Many common foot ailments can be treated with non-invasive methods, and that is likely where any podiatrist will begin his treatment. Plantar fasciitis, ingrown toenails, heel spurs, hammertoes, ganglion cysts, and bunions can all be treated non-surgically. If non-surgical options fail and symptoms persist, your podiatrist may recommend that your condition be treated through surgery. While surgery is often a last resort in treatment, it is typically the most effective way to treat these conditions.

A Previous Foot Surgery Was Unsuccessful
Despite surgery, some foot problems can reoccur years later. Ganglion cysts and bunions can both return even after a seemingly successful foot surgery. Additionally, surgeons are not infallible, and you may find that the foot surgeon you previously visited did not perform the surgery perfectly, resulting in complications or problems. Hardware such as screws or plates that were used in your surgery may become loose or need to be replaced. Certain other conditions may return or reoccur, requiring further surgery to relieve symptoms.

You Are Suffering From Foot Pain and Loss of Function
Reconstructive foot surgery is sometimes performed as a primary treatment option for certain foot problems. If you’re suffering from intense foot and ankle pain, a deformity, or a disease that has resulted in the loss of function of your foot or ankle, your podiatrist may recommend surgery. Such foot problems include adult flatfoot syndrome, a foot or ankle fracture or break, acute stages of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, severe neuromas, and tarsal tunnel syndrome.

If you’re suffering from foot pain or heel pain, visiting a podiatrist can lead to a diagnosis and treatment options that can offer you relief. A foot specialist in Sugar Land will attempt to treat your condition with non-invasive, or non-surgical, options first. These treatments include minimizing your use of your affected foot, icing the area, taking ibuprofen to reduce pain and inflammation, and using splints or orthotics to correct the problem.

If these treatment options are unsuccessful, your podiatrist may recommend surgery to preserve your foot health. Conditions that may require reconstructive foot surgery include adult flatfoot syndrome, a foot or ankle fracture or break, acute stages of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, severe neuromas, and tarsal tunnel syndrome. If a previous surgery proved unsuccessful in treating foot conditions such as plantar fasciitis, ingrown toenails, heel spurs, hammertoes, ganglion cysts, and bunions, you may require further reconstructive surgery.

Reconstructive foot surgery can provide relief from foot and ankle pain, and can prevent further deformity to the feet and toes. This surgery will help you regain the full function of your foot and ankle, allowing you to resume activities that may have been painful for you pre-surgery.

Flat feet are the result of a muscle imbalance that is passed down through families. A person with flat feet is more likely to develop other issues like hammertoes, bunions, lower body fatigue, and calf pain. If you have flat feet in Sugar Land , the foot and ankle specialist can help you correct the problem. Keep reading to find out how:

Reconstructive surgery gives the podiatrist the chance to reshape the foot to help a patient regain function and stability. This surgery can also reduce pain and lower the risk for other foot issues. The surgery is often accompanied by tendon repair, bone fusion, joint implantation, or soft tissue repair to ensure that the patient regains full use of the foot.

If you have flat feet, you should talk to your podiatrist about surgical treatments to find out if they are the right option for you. The foot specialist will give you a thorough exam to find out the best way to correct your issues.

Do you suffer from hammertoes? This condition can cause the muscles and connective tissues in the toes to contract, making the toes bend at a severe angle. Hammertoes can make even the simplest activities painful and normally require the help of a podiatrist who specializes in hammertoes in Sugar Land . Before determining a course of treatment, a foot doctor must first decide your type of hammertoes. If you have been suffering from this problem for some time, you may have rigid hammertoes. As their name denotes, rigid hammertoes can be difficult to address with noninvasive means. The tissues that control the movement of the toes are inflexible, making surgical treatment the most beneficial approach for most patients. However, if you have flexible hammertoes, a foot and ankle specialist may be able to correct your problem with other means. Especially if your toes have yet to lock into a hammertoe formation, your podiatrist might suggest tape and orthotics before surgery.