Returning to the Mountains After Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™

I have a passion for adventure. When I am not playing tennis or cheering on my son’s hockey team, I am training to walk the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile hiking trail that starts in France and ends in Spain. Unfortunately, my family has a history of bunions, and when the painful deformity prevented me from continuing my active lifestyle, I knew it was time to find a solution.

Bunions are a complex and progressive condition that form when bones in the mid-foot slide out of alignment[1]. The deformity is often accompanied by a telltale bump on the side of the big toe and excruciating pain that can prevent patients from walking just from their bedroom to their bathroom. Almost 25% of Americans suffer from bunions and they often run in families[2],[3],[4].

For more than 30 years, my bunions were a constant burden. When I was younger, I had the deformities on both of my feet addressed with traditional surgery. Unfortunately, the bunions returned. I tried to manage my pain using nonsurgical methods such as toe separators, but nothing helped ease my discomfort. Eventually, I stopped playing tennis because I could not fit into my shoes without pain.

The experience was disturbing. I was in pain 24/7 and would wake up in the middle of the night in agony. I thought I could tolerate the pain while training to walk the Camino de Santiago, but eventually I could no longer continue.

When I saw a television segment featuring Dr. Brad Schaeffer, I decided to pay him a visit at Family Foot & Ankle Specialists in Piscataway, New Jersey. Dr. Schaeffer introduced me to Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™, a procedure that addresses the root cause of the bunion in all three dimensions using a system of patented titanium plates[5],[6]. The Lapiplasty® Procedure also corrects the cosmetic bump on the side of the big toe.

After Dr. Schaeffer told me about the Lapiplasty® Procedure, I saw an opportunity to address my ongoing bunion pain. When he told me I was a candidate for the Lapiplasty® Procedure, I did not hesitate to get it done. I got my left foot corrected in October 2022.

My recovery went so much better than I expected. I was very lucky to have family in the area that could come over when I needed help getting around my house during the first few days after surgery. As Dr. Schaeffer instructed, I was non-weightbearing for eight weeks before wearing a walking boot for four weeks. I can now fit into regular sneakers again and I am exercising more every day.

Dr. Schaeffer was there for me at every step of the recovery process. Whenever I had questions about how I should be progressing, he always reassured me that I was on track. I can’t express how thankful I am.

I can now watch my son play hockey again and I plan on resuming my training for the Camino de Santiago once I am fully cleared for physical activity. I strongly recommend the Lapiplasty® Procedure to anyone who is a viable candidate.

Bunion pain doesn’t go away on its own[7]. It just gets worse and the time you’re recovering from the Lapiplasty® Procedure is nothing compared to the lifelong and progressive pain that comes with this deformity.

For more information about the Lapiplasty® Procedure™, visit Lapiplasty.com. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Schaeffer, call (212) 874-0564 or visit https://www.centralparksole.com/.

Only a surgeon can tell if Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™ is right for you. As with any medical treatment, individual results may vary and this experience is unique and specific to this patient only. There are potential risks with surgery and recovery takes time. Potential risks include, but are not limited to: infection, discomfort from the presence of the implant, loosening of the implant, and loss of correction with nonunion or malunion.

[1] American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) Website ©2023.

[2] Nix S, et al. J Foot Ankle Res. 2010. 27:3:21.

[3] American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) Website ©2023.

[4]WebMD Website ©2023.

[5] Dayton P, et al. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2016. 55:567-71.

[6] Dayton P, et al. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2019. 58:427-433.

[7] American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) Website ©2023.