A bunion is a painful, bony bump that develops at the base of your big toe. This joint deformity occurs when the first metatarsal bone in your foot starts to point outward, causing the big toe itself to turn inward and the entire big toe joint to stick out at the base.
Traditional shoes aren’t made to adapt to the now protruding joint, so a lot of undue pressure ends up being put on your big toe. Because of all that pressure, bunions develop calluses and blisters outside the skin and stiffness inside the joint.
Conservative treatments are often enough to encourage the toe joint to move back to its original position. However, in some cases, severe bunions don’t heal properly and lead to other foot problems such as hammertoes. When this happens, surgery is often necessary to realign the joint.
If bunions are keeping you from living life to the fullest, our team led by Matthew Hinderland, DPM, Jordan Cameron, DPM, Trevor Whiting, DPM, and Joseph Fleck, DPM, at the Foot and Ankle Institute of Colorado in Colorado Springs, Colorado, offers the cutting-edge bunion surgery called Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™.
Let’s take a look at how this surgical method differs from traditional bunion surgery and what to expect when you undergo it.
A bunion is much more than a cosmetic problem, even though it may seem like one. However, in traditional bunion removal surgeries, the main focus is to “shave off” the part of the toe joint that’s jutting outwards. Although this addresses the bump part of the bunion problem, it doesn’t solve the joint instability that led to the bunion in the first place.
Lapiplasty surgery aims to correct this issue by realigning the whole joint and stabilizing it with titanium plates rather than focusing only on the crooked toe. By addressing the root issue of joint instability, it significantly decreases the chances of recurring bunions.
During Lapiplasty surgery, our team corrects your misaligned joint from every single angle before securing it with titanium plates.
With traditional bunion surgery, you typically have to be off your feet for about 6-8 weeks. However, when you undergo Lapiplasty surgery, you can put weight on your affected foot in as little as 10 days after surgery. Not only can you quickly start walking normally again, but you can wear normal shoes after eight weeks and resume normal activities in less than six months.
Once you’ve made a full recovery, you can rest assured knowing that your joint is going to stay stable, and you can officially say goodbye to bunions.
To learn more about our effective bunion correction methods, schedule an appointment with our team by calling the office or using our online booking feature today.
