Bunion surgery itself is not painful although you may feel some pain for around 24 to 48 hours after the bunion surgery but it's usually not very painful and goes away pretty quickly.
Bunion surgery is done by way of the bunion surgeon making a small incision along your big toe or toe joint.
Then your surgeon repositions your big toe.
Your bunion surgeon may also realign the tendons or ligaments around your toe joint.
Most bunion surgery is performed under ankle block anesthesia, in which your foot is numb, but you are awake.
Occasionally, general or spinal anesthesia is used.
Generally, bunion surgery follows this process: You will be asked to remove clothing and will be given a gown to wear.
Bunion surgery is covered by Medicare if your doctor deems it medically necessary to remove the bunions.
However if your doctor does not deem the bunion surgery medically necessary then Medicare will not cover the cost of the bunion surgery and it will need to be paid for out of pocket.
Most bunions are treatable without surgery.
Prevention is always best by choosing shoes that conform to the shape of the feet, have wide insteps, broad toes and soft soles.
You can wear heels again after bunion surgery as long as you allow enough time for the foot to heal after the surgery.
Don't go right back to wearing heels after bunion surgery but wait at least 8 weeks or so and then return to the heels again.
Most people are walking on the operated foot in a post-surgical shoe for 6 weeks, depending on healing.
Return to shoes is at least 8 weeks after the surgery, again considering that a more involved case.
The corrective surgery for bunion is known as a metatarsal osteotomy or bunionectomy.
There are multiple techniques, but all involve cutting the bones and repositioning them with metal screws to straighten the big toe and reduce the bump on the side of the foot.
If a bunion is not painful, surgery is not usually recommended.
Bunions often get worse over time, but surgery is not recommended to prevent bunions from worsening, and oftentimes, proper footwear and other preventive care can slow down the progression of a bunion.
You should keep your foot dry and stay off your feet for 3 to 5 days after your surgery.
You should use a walker, cane, knee scooter or crutches to get around. Follow your doctor's recommendations exactly for any medications you have been given after surgery.
A few different types of doctors do bunion surgery and those who do bunion surgery are doctors such as foot specialists, podiatrist and an orthopedic surgeon.
You could see a podiatrist or foot specialist or talk to your doctor and they can refer you to someone who can do the bunion surgery.
The hospital may also do the bunion surgery once an appointment is setup for them to do so.
Bunion Surgery is pretty expensive and the cost of Bunion Surgery ranges from $4,000.00 to $8,000.00 depending on how much surgery needs to be done to correct your bunions.
If you're looking to do both feet and get rid of a major bunion then the cost could be up to $10,000.00
The cost for bunion surgery is usually not covered under health insurance or medical insurance unless the bunions are actually severe enough to make it painful for you to walk etc.
If the bunions are just unsightly to you and it's not causing you any pain then the cost of the bunion surgery would have to be paid out of pocket.
So you would have to have the full amount to pay for the bunion surgery before it will be performed.