Bunion is a lay term describing a painful swelling of the soft tissue overlying the big toe of the foot. The deformity arises when a progressive dislocation of the joint causes the big toe to drift toward the second toe. Simultaneously, the first metatarsal bone separates or spreads in the opposite direction, creating a bony enlargement on the inside of the foot. The pain and swelling you experience with a bunion are a result of shoe pressure against the bony prominence.

There are two ways to treat bunions, live with the problem and avoid excessive shoe pressure or correct the problem with surgery. Bunion surgery is categorized into three category types which depends upon the type of bunion deformity. Surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure. Most patients will be able to return to full activity in three months.