Correcting a Failed Bunion Repair

Most bunions can be treated without an operation, but sometimes surgical procedures are needed to relieve pain and deformity. Unfortunately, in some cases bunion repairs fail and the pain or deformity returns. There are multiple factors that can contribute to this challenging scenario. Bunions can recur because of medical conditions or non-healing of the bone after surgery. In some cases, there are technical aspects that can be improved to achieve the desired result with additional surgery.

The goal of correcting a failed bunion repair, using a procedure called revision surgery, is to relieve pain and deformity of the first toe that remains after the initial surgery. Sometimes arthritis develops after bunion surgery. This may require a different procedure than the first. It is important to figure out why the first surgery failed to prevent another failure.