Tailor's Bunions (Bunionette)
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Tailor’s Bunions are a common problem seen at our office. A bunionette is similar to a bunion. It is a bony bump at the base of the fifth toe – smaller, but no less painful than a large bunion. The skin in this area can become irritated, swollen, and/or infected because Tailor’s Bunions don’t fit well inside most shoes. Tailor’s Bunions can become quite irritated, and a bursitis may form over the bump. As with many foot problems, heredity plays a large role in the formation of a Tailor’s Bunion. Wearing shoes that are too narrow can cause Tailor’s Bunions to occur at an earlier age in any patient.
If a Tailor’s Bunion is not painful, then it need not be treated. The wearing of wider shoes should ease the condition temporarily. However, it is considered a progressive deformity and may cause pain in the future. We have special shoes that can accommodate this deformity and allow you to carry on without pain.
Orthotics are devices that realign the foot and support the bones of the foot. These devices may be helpful in treating the Bunionette. Furthermore, our office has a complete line of athletic and dress shoes that can take away the pain of the Bunionette. We exhaust these conservative treatments prior to performing surgery to fix Tailor’s Bunions.
Should conservative care not relieve the symptoms then surgery may prove necessary. The procedure can be performed relatively simply. In most cases, simple removal of the underlying bump cures the problem. In some cases a small cut may be necessary in the bone to narrow the widened area.
This surgery is performed on an outpatient basis in a Surgery Center. This allows you to recover comfortably in your home with your family and friends and prevents an overnight stay in a hospital. You can be awake or asleep for the procedure. As always, the decision to have surgery is left up to you. If the bone is cut a special wedge shoe must be worn for 4-6 weeks to let the bone heal. This prevents having to use crutches and allows you to walk the same day of the surgery with little to no time off work. The surgical recovery is usually painless or can be managed with a pain pill.
