Bunion surgery includes many operations, from distal osteotomy to fusion and revision surgery. Their risk profiles are not interchangeable. Modern systematic reviews have not shown a clear overall complication advantage for one broad approach, such as minimally invasive versus open surgery, when comparable procedures are assessed.
Risk discussions should therefore be individual. The relevant question is not only “What can happen?” but also “How likely is it for this patient, with this operation, and what can be done to reduce it?”
Patient factors: smoking, diabetes, vascular disease, neuropathy, inflammatory disease, previous clotting and some medications.
Procedure factors: complexity, amount of correction, fixation, revision surgery and whether several procedures are combined.
Recovery factors: wound protection, weight-bearing compliance, falls, footwear and attendance at follow-up.
Does a longer complication list mean surgery is unsafe?
No. Informed consent lists possible outcomes, including uncommon serious events. The purpose is accurate decision-making, not prediction that these events will occur.