Angie, a 58-year old from Corwith, Iowa enjoys her active lifestyle. After retiring from her career making circuit boards for the military, she was excited to spend more time enjoying her favorite leisure activities which include hunting, fishing and camping. But when worsening foot pain, caused by bunions which she had live with for over 18 years, began to prevent her from enjoying these hobbies, she knew she needed to turn her attention to finding a treatment. “Every day, I had to take my shoes off as soon as I got in the car after shopping and running errands,” remembered Angie. “You could look at my feet and see that there was definitely something wrong with them.” As the problems with her feet became more complex, it became increasingly apparent to Angie that she needed to find an effective treatment option for her. She bought multiple products online that promised to keep her feet aligned, but none of them provided her with relief. Eventually, her interest was piqued when she found information about a new procedure called “Lapiplasty®” on social media.
Angie decided to visit Dr. Paul Dayton at the Foot and Ankle Center of Iowa to learn more about Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™. He explained to her that the procedure addresses all three dimensions of a bunion and then permanently secures the unstable joints in the feet using patented titanium plates – which were designed to help patients get back on their feet quickly.2 He also explained that many patients who undergo this surgery can weight-bear earlier [in a boot] than those who receive traditional corrective procedures and that the Lapiplasty® System demonstrates a low rates of bunion recurrence.2,3 Angie underwent the Lapiplasty® Procedure on September 12th 2019 and again, for her second foot, on November 21st of the same year. After both procedures, she was back on her feet soon in a walking boot. She was able to wear tennis shoes after eight weeks and was cleared for all physical activity within months. She is now able to do her favorite activities without pain and discovered a new passion—shoe shopping. “I can buy any shoes I want now—it’s like I have two new feet. I have a shoe shopping problem!” 1. Nix S, et al. J Foot Ankle Res. 2010. 27:3:21. 2. Ray J, et al. Foot Ankle Int. 2019 Aug;40(8):955-960. 3. Dayton P, et al. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2020, 59(2): 291-297. Author Foot & Ankle Center of Iowa