NON-PAINFUL BUNIONS DON'T NEED SURGERY

Unsightly bunions all have something in common: They're a pain. People often tolerate bunions, but calling a doctor is the next step to a healthier foot. How will you know if your bunion requires surgical correction? “I always tell my patients, you can have a big, ugly bunion and it might not bother you, so until it affects your daily life, that's when an attempt should be made to surgically correct it,” said Paul LaFata, DPM, a board certified doctor of podiatric medicine at West Lawn Podiatry, Spring Township.

 

Dr. Paul LaFata

 

“I have patients who are not happy with the way their foot looks, but if they're not having pain, I wouldn't want to operate because we're not doing cosmetic bunion surgery,” Dr. LaFata said. Any type of surgery has the potential for risks, such as infection or bleeding, so unnecessary intervention is not a good idea, he said.

 

Source: Mary Louise Sholly, Reading Eagle

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News