Bunions

What are our results with Lapiplasty & Fusion?

2018 Study of fusion in 195 of patients

• 97.4 % completely healed

Very low recurrence rate for Lapiplasty®

• 3% in published study @ 4 centers 2017
• 1% in 2019 study of Foot & Ankle Center of Iowa patients
• Very high function and satisfaction in 173 patients in a multicenter study published in 2022

What To Expect

• An outpatient procedure lasting about 1.5 hours
• Usually done with general anesthesia
• We do just one foot at a time
  • The second side can be corrected after 8-12 weeks if needed
• Pain is usually minimal to moderate and is controlled with a specific regimen of medications and nerve block
• 6-7 weeks in a walking boot with light activity
  • Walking limited to 5-10 minutes each hour at first and progressing over that time to up to 15 minutes each hour
• Return to heavier activity and sports after 3-4 months
• As with all medical procedures results and recovery timing can vary from person to person

Possible issues following bone surgery

• Swelling will be present for several weeks and could last several months
• Scars can take up to 1-1.5 years to fade
• There can be some numbness along the scars
• Infection (<2% chance)
• Need to remove plates and screws (5-10% chance)
• Failure of bones to heal (<2% chance)
• Recurrence of the original deformity (1-3% chance)
• Need for further surgery (rare)

A bunion is not just a bump it is a structural deformity

Most bunion procedures have a BAD reputation because cutting the metatarsal bone does not fix the problem