Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery

If you’ve had a painful bunion for so long that you’ve limited some activities because of pain, then you might be considering bunion surgery. And you may be a candidate for minimally invasive bunion surgery. But what is minimally invasive bunion surgery, and how do you know if you are a candidate?

See previous posts regarding bunions for more background information on minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery and bunions:

• What is a bunion and why did I get one?
• Diagnosis and Treatment
• Surgical Treatment and Recovery
• Recovering from Bunion Surgery
• What is minimally invasive surgery in the foot and ankle for bunions?

What is a Bunion?

A bunion is a deformity of the first ray (big toe). The first metatarsal starts to drift inward, and people notice a ‘bump’ on the inside of their foot. At the same time, the big toe drifts outward and can rotate to create the deformity. 

What are the symptoms of a bunion?

Bunions can cause pain and discomfort. Moderate to severe deformity can limit shoe wear and physical activities. Bunions can also cause deformity to the other toes. 

When is surgery considered for a bunion?

Ask your orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon if you are a candidate for minimally invasive surgery. The surgeons at Southwest Orthopedic Group and Dr. Stautberg can evaluate your bunion and determine if you are a good surgical candidate. 

Only surgery can correct a bunion deformity. External braces and shoe modification can help symptoms. 

How can a bunion be surgically corrected?

As a bunion is a deformity of multiple bones, and not just a ‘bump’ on the side of the foot, bunion correction surgery involves correcting the alignment of the bones. In general, this is done either with osteotomies (cuts in the bone) that allow your surgeon to realign the bones, or a fusion procedure, in which the realignment occurs by fusing (gluing together) two bones. 

What are the disadvantages of traditional  bunion correction surgery?

In general, patients do well with bunion correction surgery. However, there is significant swelling, and there can be some pain after a bunion correction. Additionally, stiffness of the big toe joint has been known to be a complication. As a result, orthopedic surgeons have looked into new surgical techniques (minimally invasive bunion surgery) to minimize swelling, pain, and stiffness.

What is minimally invasive bunion surgery?

This technique uses multiple (five) small incisions, that are approximately 1 cm in length. Through these incisions, the bunion is corrected. As a result, there is less dissection and stripping of soft tissues, which occurs in traditional bunion surgery. 

What is MICA?

MICA stands for Minimally Invasive Chevron Akin. A ‘Chevron’ and ‘Akin’ are the osteotomies (cuts in bone) that are made with the burr to correct the bunion deformity. 

What are the benefits of MIS bunion surgery?

• Easier recovery
• Less pain
• Less swelling
• Less stiffness of great toe
• Less postoperative narcotic use
• Less scarring 

Who does minimally invasive bunion surgery?

Orthopedic surgeons who have trained in minimally invasive techniques can perform MIS bunion corrections. 

Dr. Stautberg offers MIS surgery to his patients.  

The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) has more information about MIS bunion surgery at PROstep MIS and FootCareMD.

For more questions or to set up an evaluation, contact Dr. Stautberg’s office at 281-977-4870. 

For more information regarding MICA, see this link. 

Author

Eugene Stautberg, MD