Minimally invasive bunion surgery doesn’t bring many risks. This is a relatively safe procedure, especially if it’s done by an experienced surgeon. While the likelihood of infection after bunion surgery is very small, it can still occur just as with any other medical procedure. This chance can be reduced to a minimum if you follow all the treatment instructions and keep your wound properly cleaned and wrapped. This foot also needs to remain dry during the healing process.
Is Infection After Bunion Surgery a Common Thing?
Infection after bunion surgery is very rare, but in case you notice some suspicious symptoms, you should be able to recognize them, especially if they’re early signs of an infection. If you happen to notice these symptoms at early stages, you’ll get a better chance for faster reduction of these symptoms. This means that infection treatment will last shorter, and you’ll get better results and have a shorter recovery time in general. If you ignore the symptoms until the moment they get more severe, you can experience additional complications that will eventually lead to much longer treatment than expected.
What Kind of Infection Can You Get After the Bunion Surgery?
Depending on the reason that causes infection, there are several kinds of infection you can get after bunion surgery:
- Soft tissue infection,
- Joint infections,
- Necrotizing fasciitis,
- Infections in patients with diabetes,
- Osteomyelitis,
- Fungal and mycobacterial infections.
How to Prevent Bunion Surgery Infections
It is essential that the surgeon takes all the necessary precautionary measures to prevent possible infection. This can be achieved by giving patients antibiotics directly into the bloodstream right before the surgery (intravenously). It is also important that your feet and shoes are clean and that you take care of your general health and immune system.
If you take all the vitamins and take proper care of your wound, it should heal without any complications – the chances of infection will be much lower. On the other hand, if your general health is poor, there is a much higher risk of having many complications during the healing process.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of an Infection After Surgery?
If you are noticing that your health isn’t improving after the surgery and experiencing some complications with your toe healing, you might as well look for the signs of infection. While there are generally not that many risks of bunion surgery, these are the main symptoms you can expect to notice if you have an infection after the operation:
- Increased pain,
- Redness,
- Warmth,
- Swelling,
- Pus leaking from the incision,
- Fever,
- Red streaks going from the incision.
If you notice these symptoms, it is recommended that you talk to your doctor right away and start the right infection treatment as soon as possible to prevent further complications.
How to Treat an Infection?
It is not recommended that you start treating the infection according to your personal preferences before talking to a doctor about your symptoms and letting them examine the wound. This is essential because, as we already mentioned earlier, infections can be caused by various reasons and different types of infections require different treatments. In addition, the doctor will prescribe you the proper medicines and give instructions on how long and frequent you should take them to achieve the best results.
Consult the Surgeon in Miami Before the Operation
It is natural that you’re worried about potential complications after the surgery, but there is no need to panic if you decide to have this procedure done at the Luxe Foot Surgery clinic. You can always contact us and book an appointment for consultations with specialist and everything you’re curious about. With our experienced professional, you can feel safe knowing you’ll get the best possible treatment, even in the unlikely case infection occurs.
FAQ
How Do You Know if You Have an Infection After Bunion Surgery?
If you have an infection after bunion surgery, you’ll notice pain, swelling, and redness in your foot. You can also experience some bigger issues, such as fever or pus leaking from the incision. If you notice any of these signs, it is mandatory that you consult with your doctor about future treatment. Don’t try treating an infection on your own – you’ll probably need to take some medicines that your doctor has to prescribe, and you won’t be able to get them without a prescription.
How Do You Treat an Infected Bunion?
An infected bunion should be treated as your doctor prescribes. In most cases, treatment will require taking medicines such as antibiotics. After examining your wound and identifying the problem and cause of infection, the doctor will know exactly which medicines to prescribe and how long you need to take them.
They will also advise you to follow the progress day by day and contact them if you notice that the wound is still not healing even after taking meds. If this happens, there might be a chance that you have to change your therapy or take the same one for a longer period. You won’t be able to tell this yourself, so consulting with a professional is highly recommended.
What Can Go Wrong After Bunion Surgery?
Infection is one of the possible complications after bunion surgery, but it is extremely rare. Main signs of infection, such as pain and swelling, can show you that your wound is not healing properly and that you need to see your doctor about future instructions and potential treatments.
How Do You Know if Bunion Surgery Failed?
Bunion surgery fails if your toe stays in the same position or bunion returns right after the surgery. Infection, and symptoms, such as pain and swelling, can be signs of a surgeon’s mistake during surgery or bad treatment after it.
