As a team, Dr. Paul Dayton, DPM and Dr. Mindi Dayton, DPM at Foot and Ankle Center of Iowa/Midwest Bunion Centers recently achieved a noteworthy milestone, performing over 400 deformity corrections with the Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™ system.
Unlike traditional bunionectomies, which address bunion correction in only two dimensions, the patented Lapiplasty® Procedure corrects the deformity in all three dimensions at the root of the problem; an unstable joint in the middle of the foot. Advanced fixation technology is used to secure the correction in place, allowing patients to get back on their feet quickly after surgery in a walking boot with a low risk of bunion recurrence.1
The Lapiplasty® Procedure was cleared for use by the FDA in 2015 and is indicated for patients 12 and older. Clinical data has shown that this procedure has a high success rate, with 97-99% of patients maintaining their 3D Bunion Correction™.1,2 The procedure requires doctors to receive special training to become certified on this novel technique for bunion correction. Dr. Mindi Dayton, DPM, and Dr. Paul Dayton, DPM have been performing the Lapiplasty® Procedure since it was introduced in 2014, and are now recognized by Treace Medical Concepts, the manufacturer of the patented system, with Centurion Status; the highest level of experience recognized by the company.
Bunions are a frequently occurring problem, with around 400,000 bunion correction procedures performed in the U.S., annually.3 A common misconception about bunions is that they are just a simple overgrowth of bone at the base of your big toe that can be simply “shaved off”. In reality, bunions are complex deformities caused by an unstable joint in the middle of the foot. The unstable joint (which is the foundation of the problem) allows the bone to rotate out of alignment, forming a painful “bump” at the base of the big toe that can limit a sufferer’s shoe wear and activity level.
Traditional bunion surgery has been limited to an incomplete, two-dimensional (2D) approach to correction; cutting the bone in half and pushing the top part over to reduce the appearance of the bump. This 2D “cut and shift” approach primarily addresses the symptoms, not the root cause – the unstable foundation of the big toe – leaving the bunion significantly more likely to come back (up to 70% of the time)4 to some degree. In fact, 87% of bunions have a rotational deformity5 which traditional bunion surgery does not address – and this is why many people who have had bunion surgery have their bunions recur.
Instead of cutting the bone in half and shifting it in two dimensions, the patented Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™ Procedure uses specially-designed instrumentation to rotate the entire unstable bone back into its normal anatomical position, naturally straightening the patient’s toe and removing the “bump” and associated pain. This simple rotation realigns the foot’s bones and innovative titanium plating technology is utilized to permanently secure the unstable foundation, addressing the root of the bunion problem. As a result, most patients are able to put weight on their foot within days of surgery. No cast is required; allowing patients to get back to the shoe wear of their choice and activities quickly.1
Lapiplasty® is a registered trademark of Treace Medical Concepts, Inc. and is covered by one or more patents. See complete list of patents at www.treace.com/patents
Not everyone is a good candidate for bunion surgery. Talk to your doctor to discuss your lifestyle and health to find out if it is a good option for you.
Only a surgeon can tell if the Lapiplasty® Procedure is right for you. As with any medical treatment, individual results may vary. There are potential risks 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.
Author Midwest Bunion Centers