Do Bunions Return After Surgery?
Whether or not to undergo surgery to rid your feet of the pain or unsightly alignment of your bunion(s) is a big decision, one that most people do not take lightly. If after exhausting all other options, surgery becomes your chosen method of treatment, the next big decision that must be made with your medical advisor is which type of bunion surgery. There are over 100 types of bunion surgeries and while almost all of them come strapped to a long recovery time (up to 6 months for recovery, up to one year for complete healing) and potential complications (infection, under- or over-correction, joint stiffness, healing delay, etc), there are some bunion surgeries that are more associated with Hallux Valgus recurrence than others. As stated by the American Health Network, “It’s important to understand that bunion surgery does not correct the cause of the bunion. Therefore there is the possibility that the bunion can reoccur. It may take several years or just a matter of months for the bunion to begin to come back. Bunions are caused by abnormal movement of a set of joints below the ankle joint”.
One of the procedures that is associated with a higher degree of recurrence is Proximal Medial Opening Wedge Osteotomy (PMOW). According to a study done at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, up to 64.7% of patients who underwent PMOW Osteotomy to treat moderate to severe hallux valgus had evidence of recurrence of their deformity, despite initially demonstrating good correction. Osteotomies typically involve cutting the bones to realign them and then securing the placement with the use of pins, screws, or plates.
Potential surgery candidates should also “be aware that so-called ‘simple’ or ‘minimal’ surgical procedures are often inadequate ‘quick fixes’ that can do more harm than good.” as noted by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The full article discussing bunion surgery in detail can be reviewed here.
The most reputable resources including WebMD, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the American Health Network, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons stress that surgery should only be performed as a last resort, and never for patients who are just seeking a cosmetic correction. Those interested in surgery should weigh their options carefully and are encouraged to do their research before selecting both their surgical practitioner, as well as their recommended surgical procedure.