Patient with bunion feet cured using scarf surgery

A 41-year-old doctor who had bunions, or deformed toes, for several years was cured using scarf oesteotomy surgery at a city hospital here, doctors said on Tuesday.

Bunion foot is a deformity of the joint at the base of the toe in which the foot turns outward and the big toe points inward, causing the joint to jut out.

Suman, who teaches at a city-based medical college suffered from the condition which aggravated with age and limited her mobility as they were causing unbearable pain.

Visits, consultations and treatments at several hospitals proved to be of little use for Suman, who in the end turned to Pradeep Moonot, a leading orthopaedic surgeon and currently associated with the Breach Candy hospital.

Proper scrutiny of the condition revealed that scarf oesteotomy surgery was the only solution.

"When Suman came to us she had severely deformed bunions in both her feet which we decided to correct with scarf oesteotomy," Moonot said.

"The surgery involved removing the prominent bump and re-aligning the metatarsal bone(group of bone) with an osteotomy (bone cut and screw fixation), combined with a repair of the joint capsule and ligaments," said Moonot.

The surgery helps to produce a narrow foot and a straighter big toe, he said

"After the surgery, I recommend post-operative shoe for almost six weeks until the foot is completely healed. The shoe allows for heel weight-bearing or walking."

Within two weeks of the surgery, Suman was able to return to work.