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Ask Dr Sean Ng: How To Treat Bunions

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Portrait of Dr Sean Ng
Dr Sean Ng

August 1st, 2018· 5 min read

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Dr Sean Ng is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with a special interest in Sports Surgery, Minimally Invasive Foot & Ankle Surgery. Besides being trained in general orthopaedic and trauma surgery, he has an active interest in foot and ankle surgery. He is also especially interested in percutaneous and minimally invasive surgery of the foot.

Bunions are a common condition that a lot of Singaporeans suffer from. The malaligned bone is not caused by wearing tight shoes, although that can worsen the condition. Bunions run in families, because foot type (shape and structure) is hereditary, and some types are just more prone to bunions than others.

Dr Sean answered questions from readers on:

  • Conservative treatment options for bunions
  • When is bunion surgery needed
  • Bunion surgery in Singapore
  • Cost of bunions surgery

Can bunions be reversed, and how can I prevent a bunion from getting worse?

Bunions get progressively worse with time. They do not reverse, and it really just depends when you want to get them corrected.

An example of a normal toes vs overlapping toes:

bunion over riding big toe singapore

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How is bunion surgery performed in Singapore, and what is it like to undergo bunion removal surgery?

Bunion surgery is done via either the traditional open method or a keyhole/ MIS method. It depends on the severity of the bunion, and what technique the surgeon is competent and proficient in.

My first option would always be to offer a keyhole correction for a patient if I feel the bunion is suitable for such correction. The advantages for keyhole surgery are plenty.

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How safe is a bunion surgery, and what are the main risks of going for bunion removal in Singapore?

Bunion surgery is generally a very safe procedure. Risks will include surgical and anesthetic risks, and usually is between 1-2%.

Short term surgical risks include bleeding, infection, neurovascular damage and very rarely fracture; and anaesthetic risks include heart attacks and strokes/ brain damage. This is however very rare, and usually in the older folks with multiple medical problems.

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How painful is the bunion removal procedure?

Pain is very subjective. On a scale of 1-10, patient A’s pain score of 2 may be patient B’s score of 7. Nonetheless, there are ways to try reduce the discomfort and pain.

Pre-operatively, the surgical technique would be the most important. Why would someone opt for a wound that is 8-10cm long, compared to one which is 1-2cm long?

Example of a open scar:

Open scar from bunion surgery singapore

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How much Medisave or subsidies can I claim for bunion surgery in Singapore?

Medisave can be used for a bunion correction, as it is a medical indication. It is not a cosmetic operation. It depends on how much work is needed, whether one foot or both feet are done.

It also depends on whether how many toes in total are done, or whether there are any other adjunct procedures.

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How can I best prepare for the bunion surgery to get optimal outcomes?

Pre-operative investigations and fitness for surgery are of utmost importance. This is to ensure that the patient is suitable for surgery, and that both the surgeon and the anesthetist are comfortable with proceeding with the surgery.

Investigations would include blood tests, ECG, chest X-ray and any other investigations deemed necessary by the surgeon and/or anaesthetist.

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What precautions should one take after the bunion surgery to get the best results?

I would usually advice the patient to start ambulation slowly. Patients are able to weight bear immediately the same day after surgery, but of course there will be some discomfort.

As the pain improves with each passing day, patients will be able to walk more and more surely/ confidently. Always take care of the wound(s), and keep the dressings dry. When taking showers, I usually give my patients a cast protector.

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When should I have bunion surgery, and what will happen if my bunions are not removed?

Bunions are not life and death surgery. It really is a matter of how much discomfort and pain it is causing you, and how much deformity there is.

The deformity can be that of just the big toe, or sometimes it may affect the other toes as the bunion gets progressively worse.

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What are the best treatment options for bunion removal in Singapore?

As mentioned above, I personally would think that keyhole/ MIS surgical correction would be the optimal way of correction.

The advantages are plenty, compared to a traditional “open” method. This would include less pain, less risks of infection and bleeding and damage.

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What is the recovery process like after bunion removal in Singapore?

If done properly, a patient would be able to weight bear the same day after surgery.

I give my post-op patients a special post-op surgical shoe, that allows the patient to fully weight bear and walk on, the same day of surgery. This is applicable to both open and keyhole technique correction. Skin stitches are usually removed at about 2 weeks post-op.

Internally, it takes about 3-4 months for the bones and soft tissues to heal.

Recovery from Bunion surgery in Singapore Bunion Recovery in Singapore after surgery

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Are the results after a successful bunion surgery permanent?

Bunion correction usually gives good results and satisfaction rates. As one of the causes for bunions are usually about 90% genetic, we will always quote a risk of recurrence of about 5-10%.

This does not depend on what technique is done, whether it is open or keyhole. So again, the important point to note is: if the results are the same between an open or keyhole correction, why would one not choose a technique that has less pain, less risks of infection and bleeding, and is cosmetically much more pleasing.

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What are the main factors that cause bunions to recur after bunion surgery in Singapore?

90% of bunions are inherently genetic. 10% is due to footwear - tight, pointy shoes. High heels.

So after bunion surgery, we always quote patients a risk of recurrence of 5-10%. Of course surgical technique is important.

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I hope that you've found this guide useful, and perhaps gained more insight into the application process. Most of the admissions-related information (admin and logistics wise) can be found on the official NUS Faculty of Dentistry website.

To help yourself out, you should take note of what people look for when they look for a dentist.

This article was written by Dr Sean Ng and published on Wednesday, 25 January 2017. Human medically reviewed the article on Wednesday, 25 January 2017. The last update was made on Friday, 18 September 2020.

Disclaimer: Opinions belong to the author and not to the platform.

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