Lapiplasty® Patient Testimonial
Jennifer is a 48-year-old residing in Van Meter, IA, who works in sales. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and rowing among other various physical activities. Jennifer has had bunions for as long as she can remember, and she had dealt with severe foot pain in high school while participating in track, softball, and basketball. While she was able to manage her discomfort in her teens, by the time Jennifer reached adulthood and stepped away from sports, she realized that her bunions were starting to become more severe.
Bunions are a potentially painful deformity that are relatively common — around 25% of American adults develop the condition, which occurs when bones in the mid-foot slide out of alignment, forming a bump on the side of the big toe (1). There are many misconceptions about why bunions form, but anyone can develop them regardless of gender, lifestyle or shoe choice (2,3). The deformity frequently runs in families, which was the case for Jennifer (4,5).
“My father had bunions but never had them treated,” Jennifer said. “I remember when I was a teenager and went to the doctor to get my bunions treated. I was told at the time that I was too young to undergo the surgery because the deformity would come back. I was told to hold off on undergoing treatment for as long as I could.”
Jennifer eventually heard about Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction® from a friend who works as an occupational therapist. Her friend recommended that she speak with Drs. Paul and Mindi Dayton at the Foot and Ankle Center of Iowa in Ankeny. Jennifer made an appointment and met with the Daytons. The Daytons explained the Lapiplasty® Procedure as a corrective option that corrects the root cause of the bunion deformity (6,7). During the consultation, Jennifer was deemed a viable candidate and scheduled surgery to correct both of her feet.
On November 4, 2019, Dr. Paul Dayton performed the Lapiplasty® Procedure on her right foot, followed by Dr. Mindi Dayton doing the same procedure on her left foot on December 30, 2019. “I experienced very little pain after my right foot was corrected,” said Jennifer. “After both procedures, the doctors gave me pain killers, but most of the time I didn’t need them. When I did experience some pain, Dr. Dayton advised me to stay ahead of the pain by using ice and medication.”
After each procedure, Jennifer was cleared by the Drs. Dayton to bear weight while wearing a surgical walking boot as soon as she felt comfortable. The first surgery on her right foot took place on a Monday, and by the next week she could briefly walk short distances in a surgical walking boot. Jennifer was particularly surprised by the fact that she could put on a regular shoe in two months, just in time to do the surgery on her left foot. By early March 2020, she could wear regular shoes and was cleared for physical activity (8). Jennifer resumed full activity during the summer of 2020.
Jennifer is pleased with her experience with the Lapiplasty® Procedure and has been open to giving advice to others considering this option. “I think anybody who is looking into getting their bunions corrected should consider the Lapiplasty® Procedure,” said Jennifer. “I am happy with my results and have no regrets.”
Only a surgeon can tell if the Lapiplasty® Procedure is right for you. This experience is unique and specific to this patient only. Individual results may vary depending on age, weight, health, and other variables. There are risks and recovery takes time. For more information about recovery from the Lapiplasty® Procedure, see the recovery information and discuss the post-surgery recovery process with your doctor. Risks include infection, pain, implant loosening and loss of correction with improper bone healing. For more information on benefits, risks and recovery, visit Lapiplasty.com.
[1] Nix S, et al. J Foot Ankle Res. 2010. 27:3:21.
2 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) Website ©2023.
4 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) Website ©2023.
6 Tanaka Y, et al. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1995. 77:205-13.
7 Dayton P, et al. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2019. 58:427-433.
8 Based on surgeon experience in their practice.