Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery in Jupiter

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Most people put this off for years

They have heard the stories — months in a cast, a long recovery, weeks off their feet. That was open bunion surgery, and for many patients it is no longer the only option.

Minimally invasive bunion surgery corrects the same deformity through portals a few millimeters across, using specialized burrs and internal fixation rather than one long open cut. The soft tissue envelope, the joint capsule, and the blood supply to the bone are largely left undisturbed.

Less soft tissue trauma generally means less post-operative swelling and a smaller scar. It does not mean the deformity is corrected any less completely — the underlying bone cut and realignment follow the same surgical principles.

What makes it minimally invasive

A traditional bunionectomy requires an incision several centimeters long over the top or side of the big toe joint, with the soft tissue opened to expose the bone. In a minimally invasive correction, a high-speed burr under live fluoroscopic guidance reshapes and repositions the first metatarsal, and the correction is held with screws placed percutaneously.

What recovery actually looks like

Every patient is different, and your timeline depends on the severity of your deformity, your bone quality, and how well you follow the post-operative protocol. For a typical minimally invasive correction:

• Day of surgery — Most patients walk out in a post-operative surgical shoe, bearing weight on the heel and outer foot.
• First two weeks — Elevation and swelling control are the priority. Dressings are changed in office. Sutures, if used, typically come out around two weeks.
• Weeks two to six — Transition out of the surgical shoe into a supportive sneaker as swelling allows. Many desk-based patients return to work within the first week or two.
• Six weeks to three months — Gradual return to normal shoes and low-impact activity.
• Three to six months — Return to running, court sports, and higher-impact activity, once bone healing is confirmed.

Residual swelling in the forefoot can persist for several months after the bone has healed. This is normal and resolves.

Are you a candidate?

Minimally invasive correction works well for a wide range of bunion deformities, including many moderate and severe ones. It is not right for everyone.

You may be a good candidate if you have pain with shoes or activity that has not responded to wider footwear, padding, or orthotics; your big toe joint still has reasonable motion and cartilage; and you are able to follow a weight-bearing protocol and keep the foot elevated early on.

Additional evaluation is needed if you have significant arthritis in the big toe joint, which may call for a different procedure; you have had prior bunion surgery on the same foot; you have peripheral vascular disease, poorly controlled diabetes, or a history of delayed bone healing; or you use nicotine in any form, which meaningfully impairs bone healing.

On age — age alone does not disqualify anyone. Bone quality, circulation, and activity goals matter far more than the number. We regularly correct bunions in patients in their sixties and seventies.

Your consultation includes weight-bearing radiographs and a physical exam. We will tell you honestly if minimally invasive correction is the wrong choice for your foot, and what we would recommend instead. When anatomy calls for a different approach — a Lapidus procedure, revision surgery, or additional correction — we say so.

Minimally invasive vs. open surgery

Neither is universally better. Minimally invasive correction uses several millimeter-wide portals with limited soft tissue disruption, minimal scarring, and usually same-day protected weight bearing. Traditional open surgery uses one longer incision with more extensive soft tissue exposure, and remains the right call for complex revisions, significant joint arthritis, and certain deformity patterns. Deformity correction is comparable for appropriate candidates. The right procedure is the one that matches your deformity, your joint, and your goals.

Frequently asked questions

How soon can I walk after minimally invasive bunion surgery?

Most patients bear weight in a surgical shoe the same day as surgery, walking on the heel and outer border of the foot. This is protected weight bearing, not unrestricted walking. Your specific protocol depends on the correction performed.

Is minimally invasive bunion surgery painful?

Post-operative pain is generally less than with open surgery because less soft tissue is disrupted. Most patients manage with a long-acting local block placed at surgery and non-narcotic medication, with a short course of stronger medication available if needed.

Will the bunion come back?

Recurrence is possible with any bunion procedure. Correcting the deformity at the right level, holding it with stable internal fixation, and following the post-operative protocol all reduce that risk. We discuss your individual recurrence risk based on your radiographs.

Is it covered by insurance?

Bunion correction is generally a covered medical procedure when the bunion is symptomatic and conservative care has failed. Our office verifies your benefits before scheduling and reviews your expected out-of-pocket cost with you.

Can both feet be done at once?

Sometimes. Bilateral correction shortens overall time away from activity but makes the first two weeks harder. We discuss this individually.

Jupiter office

4601 Military Trail, Suite 202
Jupiter, FL 33458

Mon–Thu 8 AM–5 PM · Fri 8 AM–2 PM
Saturday by concierge appointment

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Also correcting bunions at our Palm Beach Gardens office. For foot and ankle care beyond bunions, see our full practice at Abacoa Podiatry & Leg Vein Center.

Individual results vary. This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Surgical candidacy is determined only after an in-person examination and imaging.