How to recognize hallux valgus and say goodbye to pain with surgery?
Hallux valgus, also known as bunion, is a deformity that presents as a condition in which the joint of the big toe bends outward, causing pain, inflammation and difficulty in walking.
Especially when wearing certain shoe models.
Causes of bunion include wearing tight shoes (which can put pressure on the big toe joint and cause deformation), familiarity, arthritis, injury, infection and advancing age.
There are several treatment options for bunions, including non-surgical options and surgical options.
Let’s see together how to recognize hallux valgus and how to say goodbye to pain with surgery.
How do you recognize a hallux valgus?
Recognizing the pathology is very simple, especially if the deformity has already taken on proportions evident to the naked eye.
An orthopedic specialist visit remains essential for a correct diagnosis.
The symptoms may vary from person to person, but in general hallux valgus is characterised by the presence of various symptoms:
- swelling or redness;
- swelling at the base of the big toe;
- thickening of the skin;
- persistent or intermittent pain;
- limited ability to move the big toe.
The main symptom is the presence of pain, especially with high and narrow shoes: as the deformity increases, the frequency, duration and degree of pain also worsen.
Other symptoms may be:
- ulceration of the skin at the base of the first toe
- tingling or burning of the first toe
- feeling of foot fatigue when walking
Poor foot support can lead to real postural imbalances, which can cause problems with other joints such as the knee, the hip or with the spine.
In addition to being a painful pathology, it also has an aesthetic impact: it is often a source of embarrassment if you wear open shoes, sandals, flip-flops.
When the deformity causes significant discomfort and pain, surgical intervention must be performed with a corrective procedure.
Surgical treatment for hallux valgus
Hallux valgus surgery is an optimal and painless solution to definitively recover from the pathology and return to normality in a very short time.
There are different types of intervention: today, thanks to continuous progress in the surgical field and a better knowledge of the biomechanics of the foot, it is possible to act with a minimally invasive percutaneous technique, which is one of the safest and most effective.
The minimally invasive percutaneous intervention, which lasts approximately 10-15 minutes, is done under local anesthesia, with a single injection behind the calf and gives reliable and reproducible results.
It involves making small incisions in the skin and using very thin instruments, small dental-type surgical drills, in a ‘closed manner’ without exposing the surrounding bones and tissues, to correct the deformity.
Three small incisions are made through which the orthopedic surgeon performs the corrective surgery, verifying the steps through the presence of intraoperative radiology.
Bones, tendons and joint capsules can thus be corrected as with traditional techniques, with tissue saving and without resorting to internal or external means of synthesis.
The advantages of the percutaneous technique
The percutaneous technique has a number of advantages, including:
- it is a minimally invasive procedure – no surgical scars;
- recovery times are quick: most people are able to return to work within two weeks;
- absence of means of synthesis;
- the operation is a great success: over 97% of patients report having improved foot function after the operation;
- a shorter hospital stay: you go home the same day as the operation;
- reduction of pain and swelling;
- faster recovery – you are able to return to their normal activities within two weeks of surgery;
- reduced risk of infection.
Is hallux valgus surgery painful?
The operation is painless and on the same day of the operation the patient walks with all his weight on the operated foot with a bandage, which maintains the correction and a shoe with a flat sole.
Furthermore, the convalescence of those who undergo hallux valgus surgery is really short with the new techniques and lasts about 30 days.
If you are thinking of undergoing surgery to treat hallux valgus, it is important to consult a specialised doctor who can evaluate your condition and recommend the best treatment… without pain.
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