A qualified foot surgeon can get to the bottom of the causes and assess whether revision surgery is necessary.
It happens again and again that the bunion on the big toe comes back even though a hallux valgus operation was performed. Why is this? And what should be done if hallux valgus returns after the surgery? You can find out in today's blog post.
Hallux valgus back after surgery - What can be done?
As an experienced foot surgeon, I recommend seeing an experienced foot specialist as soon as possible if the hallux valgus is back after surgery. He should ideally specialise exclusively in feet and have a lot of experience with sustainable surgical procedures when it comes to bunion or foot malposition surgery. In addition, the foot specialist should offer treatments for the whole foot and not just the forefoot. Then you can assume that the foot expert will also pay attention to your foot and body statics and address the cause of your bunion growth.
Why does the hallux valgus come back even though it has been operated on?
When patients come to me who have already had hallux valgus surgery and the bunion is now back, it is initially a huge disappointment for every patient. Weeks of pain, healing and aftercare have already taken place and now the big toe is crooked again or the bunion is bigger again.
It is not always possible to determine exactly what causes a hallux valgus to come back after an operation (recurrence). Possible causes are:
- Under- or overcorrection
- Bone healing did not proceed ideally
- Bone fixation may not have been sufficient
- Other foot malpositions, such as the small toes or bent-countersunk splayfoot / flatfoot were not considered enough
- Strong genetic predisposition
How can a relapse, i.e. a recurrence of hallux valgus, be corrected?
If a hallux valgus returns after an operation, a revision operation, i.e. a follow-up correction, is usually necessary. In such a follow-up operation, over- or under-corrections or also incorrect bone healing can be corrected.
Tonio Gottlieb, MD, advises:
„Go to a foot surgeon with a high level of experience and a sustainable approach right from the start. It is not always necessary to have surgery on the crooked big toe or bunion.”
How can I avoid a hallux valgus recurrence?
How can a hallux valgus be prevented from coming back after surgery? A new growth of the bunion or a new crooked position of the big toe can basically be avoided if the following is taken into account BEFORE a hallux valgus operation:
- Every operation is also an intervention in your physical health. You should always get a second opinion from a specialist before having hallux valgus surgery.
- When choosing a doctor, look for an experienced foot surgeon with great hallux valgus surgery expertise.
- Choose a foot specialist who uses different sustainable surgical procedures and combines them if necessary.
- A qualified foot surgeon always has the whole foot in mind. He also pays attention to your foot and body statics.
