Bunion surgery (Hallux valgus correction (bunionectomy))

What is bunion surgery?

A bunion (hallux valgus) is a bony bump at the base of the big toe. It forms when the big toe drifts towards the second toe and the joint pushes outwards, widening the front of the foot. It can rub in shoes, ache, and sometimes push the lesser toes out of place.

Bunion surgery straightens the toe by cutting and re-aligning the bone (an osteotomy), and sometimes fusing a joint, then holding the correction with small screws or wires that usually stay in for good. There are open and minimally invasive (keyhole) techniques.

Surgery treats pain and the problems a bunion causes — it is not usually recommended for appearance alone, because it is a real operation with a long recovery and a chance the bunion can come back. Many bunions can be managed for years with wider shoes, padding, insoles and pain relief, and surgery is generally considered when these have not given enough relief.

Types & techniques

There isn't one single operation. The right approach depends on you — which is something to discuss with your surgeon.

Options at a glance

These are the main approaches described in this guide. The right option depends on the diagnosis, your goals and what your clinician thinks is safe.

Preparing for your surgery

• See the operating surgeon, who will examine your foot and usually arrange weight-bearing X-rays to plan the correction.
• Discuss which technique suits your foot, your expectations, and whether non-surgical measures have been tried first.
• Tell the team about all medicines, especially blood thinners, and about diabetes, circulation or skin problems on the foot.
• Stop smoking well beforehand — smoking and nicotine slow bone and wound healing, which matters a lot for an osteotomy.
• Plan time off your feet: arrange a lift home, help at home, and remember you cannot drive for several weeks.
• Set up the house for limited walking — crutches, a special post-op shoe or boot, and somewhere to keep the foot elevated.
• Ask whether one or both feet are being done; having both at once makes getting around harder.

What happens

Bunion surgery is often done under a local or regional anaesthetic that numbs the foot or leg, sometimes with sedation, or under a general anaesthetic. You can usually go home the same day.

The surgeon makes a cut beside the big-toe joint (or several tiny cuts for keyhole surgery), removes the bony bump, cuts and re-aligns the bone or bones, and holds the new position with small screws or wires. These usually stay in permanently and are not felt; occasionally one needs removing later if it is prominent.

The wound is closed and a supportive dressing applied. You will normally be given a special stiff-soled shoe or boot and crutches, and shown how to put weight through the foot in the way your surgeon advises — this varies by technique.

Is this operation right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

Anaesthetic choices

The safest option depends on the operation, your health, the facility and your surgeon/anaesthetist. Ask what is planned and why.

The two biggest things to discuss are recurrence (a bunion can return years later) and stiffness, plus the long swelling and recovery. Smoking, diabetes and poor circulation raise healing risks. Ask your surgeon how often they do this operation, which technique they recommend for your foot and why, and what their own complication and recurrence experience is.

Published figures to discuss

Rates vary by deformity severity, technique, surgeon experience and patient factors such as smoking and diabetes. The figures below come from a UK NHS patient leaflet for hallux valgus surgery and are best treated as a guide to discuss with your own surgeon, who can give their own results.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

Recovery — what to expect, and when

Recovery from bunion surgery is a marathon, not a sprint. The wound heals in a couple of weeks, but the bone takes about six weeks to unite and swelling can take many months to fully settle.

• Swelling and bruising of the foot, often worse at the end of the day, for weeks to months
• A numb or tingly patch near the scar that slowly improves
• Some stiffness of the big toe as it settles
• Needing a roomy or supportive shoe for a while before normal footwear fits
• Aching after standing or walking more than usual in the early weeks

Aftercare

• Elevate the foot regularly in the first weeks — this is the single best way to reduce swelling and pain.
• Wear the post-operative shoe or boot exactly as instructed, and use crutches for balance and protection.
• Keep the dressing clean and dry; follow advice on when you can shower or get the wound wet.
• Take pain relief as advised and do any gentle toe movements your surgeon or physiotherapist recommends.
• Do not drive until you can walk comfortably, are out of the boot if advised, and can safely do an emergency stop.
• Avoid high-impact activity, long walks and narrow or high-heeled shoes until your surgeon says it is safe.
• Attend follow-up appointments and X-rays so healing of the bone can be checked.

• Crutches and the post-operative shoe/boot ready and fitted
• Somewhere to keep the foot elevated set up at home
• Time off work booked (about 6 weeks, longer for active jobs)
• A lift home and help at home for the first days arranged
• Pain relief and any prescribed medicines collected
• Loose, roomy footwear ready for later in recovery
• Clinic's contact number saved for problems

Scars and how they heal

Open bunion surgery leaves a scar over the inside or top of the foot; keyhole surgery leaves a few small marks. Scars are pink and slightly firm at first and usually fade over months. A patch of skin near the scar may feel numb for a while. Keeping the scar protected from the sun while it matures helps it settle.

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• Increasing redness, heat, swelling or discharge from the wound (possible infection)
• Fever or feeling generally unwell after surgery
• Calf pain, swelling or tenderness, or sudden breathlessness or chest pain (possible blood clot — seek emergency help)
• Severe or worsening pain not helped by your prescribed pain relief
• The foot or toes going very pale, cold, blue or numb
• A dressing or cast that feels far too tight
• Bleeding that soaks through the dressing and does not stop

Who to contact: your surgeon or clinic first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your surgeon gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A good result is a straighter, more comfortable big toe that fits better in shoes, with the bony bump gone and the bone healed in its new position. It can take many months for swelling to settle before the final shape and comfort are clear.

Surgery cannot guarantee a pain-free foot, a fully flexible joint or that you will fit into any shoe, and it cannot promise the bunion will never return. A careful surgeon sets these expectations before you decide.

Most corrections last for many years, but a bunion can slowly come back, particularly in feet that are very flexible, where the deformity was large, or if the underlying foot shape encourages it. The screws or wires usually stay in for life. If the joint is fused, that part of the foot is permanently stiffened, which is the intended trade-off for stability and pain relief.

Combining with other procedures

Bunion surgery is often combined with correcting a crooked second or lesser toe (for example a hammer toe), or with small procedures on neighbouring toes, when these are part of the same problem. Your surgeon should explain exactly what is planned and why, so you are not agreeing to more than you need.

Follow-up & long-term care

You will usually be seen at around two weeks for a wound check, and again at about six weeks, often with X-rays to confirm the bone has united before you increase activity. Further reviews depend on healing, with a final check commonly around six months. Report wound problems, severe pain or signs of a clot straight away rather than waiting.

• Wear supportive, roomy footwear long term to protect the correction
• Use any recommended insoles or toe spacers if advised
• Keep up gentle big-toe movement exercises if your physiotherapist suggests them
• Return if the bunion starts to recur or the foot becomes painful again

Revision and secondary surgery reality

• A bunion can recur years later and may need repeat surgery, which is usually harder than the first operation.
• Metalwork occasionally needs removing if a screw or wire becomes prominent or symptomatic.
• Over-correction or under-correction, a raised toe or ongoing stiffness can sometimes require further surgery.
• If the bone fails to unite (non-union), a further procedure such as fusion with bone grafting may be needed.

Ask your surgeon for their own revision rate, what counts as a revision, and what is included in the written aftercare policy.

What good aftercare looks like

• A clear, written plan for weight-bearing, dressings, footwear and elevation.
• A named contact and route to be seen quickly for wound problems or suspected clots.
• Planned wound checks and X-rays to confirm the bone has healed before increasing activity.
• Realistic guidance on swelling, return to driving and work, and when normal shoes will fit.
• Physiotherapy or toe-movement advice where helpful, and a plan if the bunion recurs.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• The surgeon's (foot and ankle specialist's) fee and experience
• Anaesthetic or sedation and the anaesthetist's fee where used
• Theatre and hospital facility fees, and any overnight stay
• The technique used and complexity (one bone versus a fusion, or correcting extra toes)
• Implants such as screws or plates
• X-rays before and after surgery
• Follow-up appointments, dressings, the post-operative shoe/boot and physiotherapy
• Whether one or both feet are treated

• The surgeon's fee and which technique is included
• Anaesthetic/sedation and anaesthetist's fee
• Theatre and facility fees, and any overnight stay
• Implants, dressings and the post-operative shoe or boot
• Follow-up appointments, X-rays and physiotherapy
• What happens — and who pays — if a complication or revision is needed
• The cancellation and refund policy

On the NHS? Bunion surgery is available on the NHS when the bunion causes pain or functional problems and simpler measures have not helped, but it is usually not funded for appearance alone, and thresholds vary by area; people sometimes choose private care for shorter waits or surgeon choice.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a surgeon safely

• Check your surgeon is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they practise at a CQC-registered location, and look for membership of bodies like BAAPS or BAPRAS.
• You're entitled to a two-stage consent process with time to reflect (a cooling-off period). The surgeon who will operate must consent you — not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers, discounts or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good surgeon will welcome every one of these.

• Which technique do you recommend for my foot, and why that one?
• How likely is my bunion to come back, given my foot shape?
• How much walking will I be allowed in the first six weeks, and in what footwear?
• What is your own experience and complication rate with this operation?
• Will the screws or wires stay in, and how often do they need removing?
• Do I need any other toes corrected at the same time?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the surgeon who carries out my operation, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this operation not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified surgeon for bunion surgery

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How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: NHS — Bunions (overview and treatment) NHS (North Tees and Hartlepool) — Hallux valgus (bunion) surgery patient leaflet Unfavourable outcomes after hallux valgus surgery — systematic review (PMC) Open versus minimally invasive hallux valgus correction — outcomes (PMC) Systematic review of minimally invasive bunion surgery (MIBS) (PMC)

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.