Who is the best bunion surgeon in Melbourne?
If you have a painful bunion and have started looking for someone to fix it, there is a fair chance you have typed this exact question into Google. It is an understandable question and an unanswerable one. Melbourne has a number of well-trained foot and ankle surgeons who operate on bunions, and there is no single best among them — because there is no single bunion. The surgeon and the operation that suit a mild bunion in a thirty-year-old runner are not the ones that suit a severe, arthritic bunion that has already been operated on once.
This article explains what actually separates one bunion surgeon from another, what to ask before you book, and where Dr Janan Chandrananth fits — so you can judge him by the same test you would apply to anyone else.
Why there is no single best bunion surgeon
A bunion (hallux valgus) is not one deformity but a range. Some are mild and flexible; some are severe and stiff. Some come with arthritis in the big toe joint, some with instability at the base of the first metatarsal, and many with deformities of the smaller toes alongside. Well over a hundred named operations exist for bunions for exactly that reason: keyhole (minimally invasive) osteotomies, open scarf and chevron osteotomies, fusions at the base of the toe for unstable feet, and fusion of the big toe joint itself where the joint is worn out.
A surgeon who does the same operation for every bunion has chosen the operation before looking at the foot. So the useful question is not “who is the best bunion surgeon?” but “who does a lot of bunion surgery, can do more than one kind of operation, and will tell me honestly which one my foot needs — and whether it needs one at all?”
What to look for in a bunion surgeon
Fellowship training in the foot and ankle. Bunion surgery is forefoot surgery, and it is technically unforgiving: a few degrees of correction one way or the other decides whether the toe sits straight in five years. Ask where the surgeon did their foot and ankle fellowship and how much of their week is forefoot work.
More than one operation in their hands. A surgeon who offers only keyhole surgery, or only open surgery, will fit your foot to their technique. The one worth seeing can do both, can fuse the joint when it is arthritic or unstable, and is willing to say “keyhole is not the right operation for your foot.”
Straight talk about keyhole surgery.Minimally invasive bunion surgery uses incisions of around 5 mm and often means less early pain and smaller scars. In appropriately selected feet the correction and the long-term result are broadly comparable to open surgery — not better, not worse — and it is not suitable for every bunion. Be wary of anyone who tells you it is always the answer, and equally of anyone who dismisses it. Is keyhole foot surgery as effective as open surgery? covers the evidence.
Honesty about recurrence and appearance. No bunion operation removes the possibility of the bunion coming back, and complete cosmetic correction cannot be guaranteed. A surgeon should tell you both before the operation, not after.
Credentials you can check. Every surgeon in Australia is on the public AHPRA register, which shows their specialist registration. FRACS (Orth) and membership of the Australian Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society are the standard marks for an orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon.
A realistic recovery timeline. Most patients walk in a flat post-operative shoe from day one and stay in it for about six weeks; supportive shoes follow at six to twelve weeks, and swelling persists for months. A surgeon who promises you will be back in narrow shoes in a month is promising something the foot cannot deliver.
Fees in writing. You should know the total cost — surgeon, anaesthetist and hospital — and your out-of-pocket amount after Medicare and your health fund, before you commit. If a practice will not put its fees in writing, ask why.
Questions worth asking at your first consultation
Does my bunion need surgery at all, and what happens if I leave it?
Which operation would you do for my foot, and why that one rather than the alternatives?
Would you do it keyhole or open, and what would make you choose the other?
How many bunion operations do you do each year, and how many of them are keyhole?
What is the chance it comes back, and what about my foot makes that more or less likely?
What will it cost in total, and when can I walk, drive, work, exercise and wear normal shoes?
What to bring and what to expect are covered on the initial consultation page.
Where Dr Janan Chandrananth fits
Dr Janan is a fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon in Melbourne, and bunion and forefoot surgery is a large part of his practice. Measured against the list above:
Training. FRACS (Orth) through the Australian Orthopaedic Association’s accredited program, then two foot and ankle fellowships — at North Bristol NHS Trust, a major United Kingdom foot and ankle centre where he trained in minimally invasive forefoot surgery, and in Tokyo under Professor Satoru Ozeki, past president of the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot. Full details are on the credentials and research page.
Technique. He performs mainly keyhole bunion surgery — several incisions of around 5 mm, the bone cut and realigned under X-ray guidance and held with screws — but performs open correction where the foot needs it: a very severe deformity, arthritis in the big toe joint, marked instability at the base of the first ray, or previous surgery that has changed the anatomy. The technique is chosen to fit the foot, not the other way round.
Non-operative first. Most bunions are managed without an operation — wider shoes, padding, orthotics and simple pain relief. Surgery is recommended when symptoms persist despite those measures or interfere with daily life, not because a bump is visible.
Recovery, honestly described. Day surgery in alot of cases, walking in a post-operative shoe from day one, about six weeks in the shoe, supportive footwear from six to twelve weeks, and swelling that is expected to persist for several months. Recurrence and the limits of cosmetic correction are discussed before surgery. His keyhole bunion surgery page sets out the timeline and the risks in full.
Hospitals. Bunion surgery is performed at St John of God Berwick and Mulgrave Private, and he holds a public appointment at Frankston Hospital.
Fees. Consultation and surgical fees are published on this website. He participates in the known-gap scheme with most major health funds, and every patient receives a written quote before surgery.
Access. Rooms in Mulgrave, Berwick and Pakenham. Your GP can refer by HealthLink or Medical-Objects, or you can request an appointment directly and bring the referral with you.
He does not claim to be the best bunion surgeon in Melbourne, and you should be wary of anyone who does. What he can say is this: great toe surgery is a large part of his weekly work, he can offer both keyhole and open correction, and he will tell you which one your foot needs — including when it needs neither.
Wondering which bunion operation is right for your foot?
Book a consultation with Dr Janan Chandrananth to have your bunion assessed and find out whether non-surgical treatment, keyhole surgery or open surgery is the right next step.
Request an Appointment
FAQs
Is a keyhole bunion surgeon better than a surgeon who does open surgery?
No. Keyhole and open surgery give broadly comparable corrections and long-term results in properly selected patients; the difference is in the size of the incisions and, often, early comfort. The surgeon who can do both and chooses between them on the basis of your foot is better placed than one who does only one.
How do I know whether my bunion needs surgery at all?
Pain and function decide it, not appearance. If wider shoes, padding and orthotics control the symptoms, surgery is not needed. If the joint hurts despite those measures, if the smaller toes are being pushed out of place, or if you cannot find shoes you can walk in comfortably, it is time to have the foot assessed. The bunions page explains the non-surgical options in more detail.
Do I need a referral to see Dr Janan about a bunion?
You need a referral from a GP or another doctor to claim the Medicare rebate on the consultation. A GP referral is valid for twelve months. If you do not have one, the rooms can explain your options when you book.
