You doc is right. Both my big toes were injured in separate accidents as a teenager and the joints finally quit functioning, which I could live with except for the pain.
I had "Keller Bunionectomies" on both feet. Look it up...pretty radical stuff....but I'm 100% functional, no pain, and can wear less than EEEE size shoes now.
Depending on your bunion type and the surgery, expect a fairly long recovery time. Mine was 3 months to heal, 1 year to get back to normal. I could still hike during that time but the trekking poles became a staple...and they still are.