Tailor’s bunion, also called a bunionette, is a prominence of the fifth metatarsal bone at the base of the little toe. The bunion is actually the rounded end of the fifth metatarsal bone (the bone on the outside of the forefoot leading to the 5th toe) that is slowly splaying away from the outer side of the foot. It is referred to as a tailor’s bunion because tailors once sat cross-legged all day with the outside edge of their feet rubbing on the ground. This produced a pressure area and callus at the bottom of the fifth toe.
MIS
(Minimally Invasive Surgery)
Dr. Nunez does a minimally invasive ambulatory surgical technique to correct Tailor’s bunion/bunionette. It involves making extremely small incisions, to remove the bony exostosis or bump located along the lateral around the 5th toe and may also involve cutting the 5th metatarsal bone just behind the toe to change the alignment and improve foot function and help prevent reoccurrence. There is no need for a long open incision thus causing minimal injury to the adjacent tissues which results in reduced swelling, pain, and recovery time.
MIS surgeons are able to rely on a compression dressing for stabilization immediately after surgery, eliminating the need for internal fixation (pins, screws plates, etc.)
The small surgical incisions enable the surgeon to use fine specially designed instruments to obtain the best cosmetic result.
Surgery is performed under Fluoroscopic imaging and using just local anesthetic instead of general anesthesia, making foot surgery possible for some patients who were previously considered to be too at risk for traditional surgery due to age or medical history.
There is less trauma to the tissue and surgical times are lessened with this technique, reducing pain and recovery time. Less suturing is necessary and often times no sutures are used. Postoperative patients ambulate immediately and are placed temporarily in a surgical shoe or boot to aid ambulation.
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