For bunion surgery to be successful, the pain should be eliminated and patients can go back to their normal bodily functions after a complete recovery. The most common reason for feeling pain on the ball of the foot after bunion surgery is when the bone for the great toe was shortened a little too much during the correction of the bunion. The shape of the foot is changed and the patient’s weight moves over to the next toes during walking, smaller toes that are not made to bear too much weight.