Painful Tailor’s bunion, surgical correction of Tailor’s bunion.
Tailor's Bunion Surgery
Today a young lady came in with a complaint of a large bump behind her fifth toe and added that her fifth toe is turning under her fourth. She has pain when she runs and works out. This has been getting progressively worse over the past six months.
I diagnosed her with a Tailor’s Bunion (also called a Bunionette). See picture below: (click any picture to enlarge)
Tailor’s bunion is a prominence of the fifth metatarsal bone at the base of the little toe. The deformity received its name because tailors sat cross-legged all day with the outside edge of their feet rubbing on the ground. This constant rubbing led to a painful bump at the base of the little toe.
Usually a tailor’s bunion is caused by an inherited faulty mechanical structure of the foot. In these cases, changes occur in the foot’s bony framework, resulting in the development of an enlargement. The fifth metatarsal bone starts to protrude outward, while the little toe moves inward. This shift creates a bump on the outside of the foot that becomes irritated whenever a shoe presses against it. Sometimes a tailor’s bunion is actually a bony spur (an outgrowth of bone) on the side of the fifth metatarsal head.
In the case of this patient, the fifth metatarsal bone was angulated toward the outside.
Treatment for tailor’s bunion: I informed her all about the surgical correction of Tailor’s Bunion where I make a small incision On the side of the foot and access the bone. I then cut a small wedge in the bone to change the angle toward the inside of the foot. After the bone wedge is removed, I placed a tiny titanium screw in order to hold it in place to heal.
Recovery from tailor’s bunion surgery: For people with a desk job I can do the surgery on a Friday and send them back to work on Monday in a surgical shoe or boot. This patient, however, has a job in which she is on her feet doing sales. I advised her that she would need to take 2-3 weeks off of work or work at a desk if possible. She chose to wait until the Fall to perform her surgery when her work schedule is lighter and she can work in the office, rather than on her feet doing sales calls.
© Copyright 2010 Best Podiatrist NYC Emanuel Sergi, DPM City Footcare, PC 122 E 42nd Street, Ste 2901 New York, NY 10168 212-871-0800 www.cityfootcare.com cityfootcare@gmail.com Specializing in foot surgery, bunion surgery, hammertoe surgery, cosmetic foot surgery, general podiatric surgery.
Hi. I have a tailors bunion on the outer of each foot. Is this less surgery time/recovery than a regular bunion? Also I live overseas so would have to travel to US for the surgery, what amount of time would I need to be there, and what would be the approx total cost I would need to budget for? thanks.
The recovery from Tailors bunion surgery depends on how severe the problem is and that determines which procedure a podiatrist will do. The recovery from simply shaving off a bump of bone is easier than cutting the bone, moving it and placing a screw in it to heal. I’d have to see x-rays and a foot in order to make that determination. When we cut and move the bone, the recovery is very similar to the recovery from bunion surgery of the great toe.
To answer your questions about travel time and expenses, please email me directly.
Dr. Silverberg
I have two tailor bunions. The left foot doesnt hurt usually but feels uncomfortable. The right foot now is starting to hurt. This is after at least 10 years since diagnosis.
If you just shave the bone can i go back to work where I sit at a desk most of the day. I have to stand to set up machines for my workers. Can I stand some?
How much pain is it after you shave the bunion or if you have to cut the toe and reposition it?
Thanks
Hi Michael.
If I just shave the bone for a tailors bunion a patient can do the surgery on Friday go back to work sitting down, on Monday. If work requires standing and walking, then three to four weeks are required in most cases.
Dr. S.
hi,uhmm i dont know if i have a tailor bunion theres a lump on the side of each off my pinky toes and kinda my big toe it hurts to walk on it…would i need surgery? and if so does that also mean i wear a cast or the boot thing on it? and for how long? please reply to my email…girardtaylor@aol.com
Thank You, Taylor:)
If the bump is behind the little toe, more on your foot an the toe, then most likely it is s tailors bunion. If its on the toe itself then it’s likely a hammertoe with a corn.
Surgery for tailors bunion requires a surgical shoe for four weeks for smaller procedures and a cam walker boot for four weeks if the metatarsal bone requires cutting a eschewing for larger tailors bunions.
Dr. S.
I apparently have a tailors bunion on both feet. I have a simple lump about two inches down the side of my foot. It is not at a joint. Is it the same type of thing. The pain is getting worse in both
Hello Phylis, if you mean two inches from the end of the little toe, then yes it likely is a tailors bunion.
hi if i sent you some pictures via email on my feet would you be able to tell me what could possibly be wrong with my feet i have seen a foot dr in the past and all he said was my feet arent broke but i have extreme pain from wearing shoes even wide shoes. the pain is located on the outsides of my feet where my pinkie toes are and my little toes point inwards i think its a tailors bunion but im not 100% sure im hoping you could just give me your thoughts and thats all im not asking for a offical diagonisis because i know that you can not do that because you have never seen me before but any suggestions will be greatly apprciated. thanks.
Hi Michelle, it does souund like tailors bunions are the cause of your problem. I sent you an email and look forward to your reply.
I have what looks like a tailors bunion, it doesn’t really hurt at the moment, but is there any other treatment other than surgery to help it as reading other comments I can’t really take 3 weeks off work.
Hi Adele. Unfortunately there are not many non surgical treatments for tailors bunions.
Most are common sense. Wear wider shoes. More supportive shoes. Orthotics in the shoes sometimes help.
I often say, “change the shoe r change the foot”.
I have a tailors bunion on my left foot. I went to a podiatrist in Springfield Missouri. He told me recovery time would be around 8 weeks. I want to check around and see all the options.
Hi Lisa. The recovery for tailors bunion varies depending on which type of surgery is done. This ranges from just shaving the bone to cutting it and moving it with screw or pin fixation. Hte bigger the surgery the longer the recovery.
Also, the concept of recovery time varies. It depends on the persons activty and work functions. It depends on how you define recovery. Gettng back into shoes during recovery is differnt than getting back to running and training. These are questions to ask your surgeon based on the patients individual needs.