Question
I have what I thought was a bunion on my foot and after seeing a podiatrist and having x-rays, he has told me that it is actually  degenerative arthritis.  I also have a large calcium deposit that sticks up on the top of my foot (what I thought was the bunion).  He has said my true only option is surgery and said the choices will be either go in and scrape everything out (which he said he doesn't think that it will be as easy as that), go in and replace the joint or if the bones aren't strong enough to hold a new joint, fuse the bones together.  He has said that with fusing the bones together, it will be a much longer recovery time with a cast for 6 to 8 weeks and total of about 10 to 12 weeks total time.  Does this sound right that I would be in a cast?  I have let it go for so many years (probably 8 to 9 years) that I am afraid it will end up being worse case scenario of fusing the bones together and just want to make sure if this sounds right or do I need to get another opinion.  Thanks for any input you can give me.  

Answer
Jill,

Degeneration of a foot joint may be treated in many different ways.  
First, do you have pain in the foot/joint?
Treatment also depends on your age, activity level and condition/strength of the bone.
Casts are often needed if a fusion is performed.
Often if the bones are not strong enough to hold a new joint, they may have difficulty healing with a fusion.
It appears that you may not be totally comfortable with your current surgeon.
Prior to a surgery, I would seek other opinions.

Good Luck.

Marc Katz, DPM
Advanced Podiatry
Tampa, FL
http://www.thetampapodiatrist.com
http://www.tampacryosurgery.com