Hallux valgus (Bunion)

We treat Hallux valgus (Bunion) with minimally invasive surgery (MIS), with only 3 skin holes (3-5mm), no skin incisions, no metal (screws) bone fixation. 

Your MIS procedure will be done by AMIFAS* member surgeon (* Academy of Minimally Invasive Foot & Ankle Surgery, USA)

Hallux valgus before and after MIS

Benefits of minimally invasive surgery

• Less injury – MIS is less traumatic for soft tissue. Traditional open surgery requires big skin incisions (5-10 cm), joint opening, metal fixation for bone correction that creates injury to the bones and the soft tissue. Conversely,  MIS uses small skin punctures with less tissue damage and a faster recovery time. No metal elements are left after a surgery in the foot.
• Less pain – MIS uses a less traumatic way of the treatment, therefore MIS patients have less pain after the surgery and require less painkillers.
• Shorter surgery time – MIS often needs less time than traditional surgery because MIS does not need metal (screws, others) bone permanent fixation, surgical wound repairment.
• Less scaring – minimally invasive foot surgery uses smaller skin punctures so scars left after MIS are small and less noticeable.
• Less anaesthesia – There is no need for general anaesthesia for MIS. We use regional anaesthesia (ankle block) under ultrasound control for precise and effective painless treatment. This also decreases a general anaesthesia risk. Ankle block lasts up to 5-6 hours which is an additional benefit for our Patients. 

Recovery from the procedure

• Immediately after the MIS treatment you will start wearing non expensive post-operative only for 7-10 days, then you will need to wear regular shoes with a wide toe box for 3-5 weeks. You can walk without a cane or crutches immediately after MIS.

Our clinics MIS experience

Minimally invasive percutaneous surgery (MIS) in Estmedica Kliinik has been used since 2011. Our clinic is the first one in Baltic States that uses MIS for Hammer toe, Hallux Valgus, Metatarsalgia and any other forefoot deformities.

Skin punctures in 3-5mm are done during the MIS procedure. Specially developed Mini C-arm x-ray is used by a surgeon to perform MIS.

The new MIS technology decreases surgery trauma, cicatrisation and complications after the treatment. There are no metal elements left after MIS. Recovery after MIS procedure is more predictable and a risk of infection is less expectable.

Our Surgeon Andrei Detotšenko MD is a member of Academy of Minimally Invasive Foot &Ankle Surgery (USA).

We are very grateful to our American teachers and mentors for the training and continued transfer of their knowledge and experience to us: professor Dr. Stephan Isham MD (USA), Dr. Boriss Markevich PD (USA), Dr. Sheldon H, Nadal PD (Canada) and our other great colleagues. 

Minimally invasive surgery was first pioneered by Dr. Morton Polokoff in 1945, he developed these techniques as a system of percutaneous surgery using very small instruments.