Surgical Treatments

There are many procedure types for bunions including head, shaft, and base procedures. Different procedures have different post-op recovery times that can require weight bearing in a boot and no weight bearing in a cast. Depending on the bunion deformity and what your goals are, we work to help you find the right procedure for you. Picking the right procedure for you is very important because it can help minimize reoccurrence rates of the bunion coming back in your lifetime, but can also help you make an informed decision on how long it will take you to get back to normal activities that you love to do. Our doctor takes into consideration both your lifestyle and goals and compares them to your bunion and other forefoot deformities and makes a plan WITH you.

Surgeries 

• Lapiplasty

  • This procedure takes care of the root of the issue, which is the unstable joint located in the middle of the foot. During the procedure, this joint is secured with screws and plates. This surgery has a lower risk for recurrence among the options for bunion surgery. Click here for more information.

• Cheilectomy

  • This surgery removes the extra bone or "bunion bump" that you see on the side of the toe that causes pain.

• Austin/Akin Bunionectomy

  • During an Austin Bunionectomy, the Doctor removes the excess bone from the bunion. Then, the bone will be repositioned to straighten out the toe using a v-shaped cut. Screws will be placed to keep this shape.

• Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) for Bunions

  • Read about our MIS here. 

Post-Op Care

There are many ways that we can aid you in your surgical recovery. It is important to us that your recovery is as quick and pain-free as possible. Your physical recovery and recovery time will vary based on the specific procedure that you had. Refer back to the recovery time section to get a time estimate.

Laser Therapy

We offer laser therapy as a method of post-op pain control. Laser therapy can help reduce your pain significantly after surgery and it also helps in tissue recovery and healing. Laser therapy works to increase the ATP, or energy, in your cells. This energy can help increase cellular function. It also increases the oxygen and blood flow to the sites of repair and stimulates your own cells to heal the tissue. It can decrease swelling and help aid in soft tissue repair. It can even decrease scar tissue and recover injured nerves. Laser therapy can help aid in soft tissue healing of the tendons, ligaments, and soft tissue surrounding these areas. Laser therapy is safe and painless. Often, laser therapy can feel like a warm massage over the areas being treated. It cannot be done on someone that is not pregnant or someone that has cancer in the lower extremity. Laser therapy is something that is usually started immediately for better results and faster healing and pain reduction. Although benefits will occur immediately after the first treatment, tissue repair does not happen overnight so often more than one treatment is advised for the best results. Often, it is recommended to start with at least 6 treatments. You can always add more as needed. 

Schedule an Appointment 

Complete our contact form or call us at 616-534-3920 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Stewart. Don't wait—the first step to better foot health is just a call or click away.