Bunion removal is surgery to treat deformed bones of the big toe and foot. For more information on this type of deformity, see: Bunion

Bunionectomy; Hallux valgus correction

You will be awake during the procedure. You willl be given anesthesia (numbing medicine) so that you will not feel pain and medicines to help you relax.

The surgeon makes a cut to around the toe joint and bones. The surgeon repairs the deformed joint and bones using pins, screws, plates, or a cast to keep the bones in place.

The surgeon may repair the bunion by:

• Making certain tendons or ligaments shorter or longer
• Arthrodesis, which involves taking out the damaged part of the joints and then using screws, wires, or a plate to hold the joint together
• Shaving off the bump on the toe joint
• Removing the damaged part of the joint
• Cutting parts of the bones on each side of the toe joint, then putting them in their proper position. This is called an osteotomy.

Your doctor may recommend this surgery if you have bunion that hasn't gotten better with other treatments, such as shoes with a wider toe box. A bunion is when your big toe points toward your second toe, forming a bump.

Bunion surgery corrects the deformity and relieves pain caused by the bump.

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Review Date: 02/19/2011
Reviewed By: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)