A bunion is a boney lump on the side of your foot at the base of your big toe.
This may be an isolated problem but it often associated with other problems with the shape of your foot.
What causes a bunion?
Bunions are more common in women than in men and tend to run in familes. They are more likely if you have stretchy ligaments (hypermobility).
Wearing shoes increases the risk of getting bunions, especially if they have high heels, pointed toes or badly designed soles. Some people with bunions have arthritis in the big toe joint but many other people have no other joint problems.
Benefits to surgery
Your big toes should be staighter so your foot should fit more comfortably in a normal shoe.