What is a Chevron Osteotomy Bunionectomy and who is it for?
For our active patients under the age of 50 with a mild to moderate, but not a severe bunion (hallux valgus deformity), the osteotomy bunionectomy might be a good surgical procedure to consider. Please note we usually only recommend bunion correction surgery if conservative treatment options have failed like customer orthotics,
Like all bunion surgeries, the Chevron procedure is designed to correct the misalignment of “the knuckle of the big toe.” This misalignment makes the big toe to turn inward toward the smaller toes. This usually creates a bony bump at the bottom of the big that grows larger over time and will eventually hurt, sometimes severely.
This is a popular surgery, but do not think it’s the best. There is no such thing as the best because each patient’s foot anatomy, bunion deformity, and bone quality are different. So, what may be perfectly right for one bunion patient could be terribly wrong for another.
One reason why this surgery is so popular is it’s the only one that many doctors perform since it has been around for decades. So, if you see a doctor that only performs one type of bunion surgery, do yourself a big favor and talk to a different surgeon.
What happens during an osteotomy bunionectomy
An osteotomy bunionectomy is an outpatient orthopedic procedure that’s usually performed under local anesthesia so that your foot is asleep but you’re not unconscious, although you may be given medication intravenously to help you relax during the procedure.
- Your Bunion Institute surgeon makes a small 3 cm incision along the inner side of the foot where the base of the big toe meets the long bone of the forefoot (known as the first metatarsal phalangeal joint or MTP joint).
- Any inflammation present at the MTP joint capsule may be drained or removed. If needed, the surgeon might trim off any bone spurs or excess bone or adjust tendons along either side of the joint responsible for pulling the bones out of alignment.
- Using a tiny specialized electric cutting device, the surgeon then makes a V-shaped cut at the far end of the first metatarsal bone, just before the head. When seen from above, the apex of the V cut points toward the shin bone.
- Next, the surgeon pulls the long end of the first MT bone inward to make it lie parallel to the second metatarsal bone and the metatarsal head is reattached to the cut bone using two tiny low-profile screws to fix it in place while the bone fuses. You can also opt to have a non-metal fixation with us that is eventually eliminated by the body after the fusion site heals.
- Depending on your unique needs, our surgeon may add regenerative medicine protocols, such as infusing the site with amniotic fluid allograft or patient-derived platelet-rich plasma, to speed up recovery while decreasing scarring and stiffness.
- The soft tissues and skin are closed using plastic surgery suture techniques to optimize wound appearance and greatly minimize scarring.
- Your foot is bandaged and placed into a specially designed stability boot that protects the surgical site while permitting full weight-bearing.
- After resting in the recovery area, you are sent home, oftentimes in a weight-bearing walking boot (sometimes also with crutches) and detailed post-surgical instructions.
How our bunion surgeons improved the Chevron Osteotomy Bunion Surgery
Believe it or not, the concept of an osteotomy bunionectomy was originally developed a century ago. Luckily there have been many advances since then, a number of which that we developed.
The specialists at University Foot and Ankle Institute and The Bunion Institute have taken the traditional osteotomy approach to the next level by incorporating improvements designed to create a sturdier, far faster healing and more cosmetically appealing correction that lets our patients bear weight immediately after surgery without the need for a cast.
In most cases, patients regain full range of motion at the big toe joint and are wearing regular shoes within 4 to 6 weeks of surgery. What’s more, our surgeons place the incision along the side of the great toe, avoiding unsightly scars along the top of the foot.
Our surgeons have brought new techniques and technology to many forms of bunionectomy procedures, pioneering a much quicker recovery without compromising on outcomes.
Performing bunion surgeries that are virtually painless
We concentrate on a variety of things to control pain, including:
- We use stable fixation, so the bones don’t move, which results in less post-op swelling and pain.
- We inject long-acting local anesthesia and a proprietary “cocktail” of medications selected to control swelling and pain.
- The orthopaedic post-op boot we use facilitates greater stability and less movement at the surgical site, resulting in a more comfortable recovery and improved weight bearing tolerance.
- We’ve developed anti-inflammation protocols for after surgery that reduce pain and swelling without the need for major narcotic use.
The net result is that our patients rarely take more than one or two pain pills following most bunion surgeries. In fact, the majority of our patients control their post-op discomfort with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication and Tylenol.
We closely manage your recovery
A keep part of achieving a successful surgical outcome is keeping a close eye on your postoperative recovery with follow-ups. Bunion Institute surgeons use our in-house CT scanner that can spot early signs of bone fusion sooner than x-rays to advance your post-op physical therapy.
Why choose Bunion Institute for your bunion care and treatment
If you’re experiencing problems with bunions, or other conditions such as plantar fasciitis, ball of your foot, or any other problems, we’re here to help. Our nationally recognized foot and ankle doctors offer the most advanced foot care and the highest success rates in the nation.
We are leaders in the research and treatment of all foot and ankle conditions. Our foot and ankle surgeons have performed tens of thousands of successful bunion surgeries developing time-tested techniques to allow patients to immediately walk after surgery while experiencing a virtually pain and scar free bunion surgery.
To schedule a consultation, please call (855) 814-3600 (24 hours a day) or make an appointment now.
We are conveniently located throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area with locations in or near Santa Monica (on Wilshire Blvd.), Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Northridge, Downtown Los Angeles, Westlake Village, Granada Hills, and Valencia California, to name a few.
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