Foot Surgery


Foot surgery treats medical and aesthetic issues. Bunions are bony lumps on the side of the foot and base of the big toe. Bunion surgery cuts out the bunion, realigns toe joints in the toes or replaces the joint with a metal plate and screw. Hammertoes affect the middle toes as they become clawed or permanently bent upward at their middle joint. Hammertoe surgery removes one of the two small joints within the toe or fuses the phalanges together to create better stability. Toes hanging off the edge of an open toe shoe can be shortened by removing joints from the toes. Short toes are lengthened by a structural bone graft or attaching an external fixator to bone segments to stretch the bone.

Ideal candidates for foot surgery include:

  • Patients with a bunion on the side of the foot or those with hammertoes
  • A patient who is embarrassed about the shape of their feet or toes
  • Those who can no longer straighten their toes
  • Any patient who is restricted with the amount of walking or standing they can endure
  • Patients who are looking to lengthen or lessen the length of a toe

Foot surgery costs depends on the type of procedure, condition of the foot, skill of the surgeon and the geographic location of the procedure. The average cost for bunion surgery is about $5560-$6500 and hammertoe surgery is approximately $9000-$14,000. The cost of surgery to shorten or lengthen a toe is $2000-$8000 depending on the number of toes being treated and the complexity of the surgery. If any of these conditions cause pain or impact the patient’s balance, the procedure might be deemed medically necessary and medical insurance may cover a portion of the cost.

Patients will have some swelling and discomfort after foot surgery but pain medications can help to ease discomfort. No matter what type of foot surgery is performed, patients are advised to rest the day of the procedure and keep the foot elevated as much as possible, over the first few weeks, to help with pain and swelling. It can take several weeks to resume normal activities. While bunions can return after surgery, this is not a common occurrence. In general, patients can expect to see long term results from any foot surgery as long as they follow the post-op instruction of their doctor.

Calf Implants

Calf Implants

submitted on   Fri Sep, 04, 2015 by Sam Gershenbaum, MD     
Calf implants are used to improve the look of the legs, as well as the entire body, by adding proportion and definition to the lower legs. Also known as calf augmentation, calf implants can be considered a cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Implants can add fullness and definition to enhance...