Staying active has been a large part of Jo’s retirement. She looked forward to taking each of her five different weekly workout classes. From yoga to body sculpting, Tai Chi, and dance – the only thing she loved more was the time spent with her grandchildren, for whom she and her husband moved to DC to be closer.

But when her excruciating foot pain interfered with being active, Jo knew something had to be done. She had a painful bunion; a bone deformity caused by an unstable joint that allows the big toe to drift out of alignment and progressively worsens over time. Jo had traditional bunion surgery on both of her feet over a decade ago. Her podiatrist at the time told her “It may be permanent, but it may also need to be done again if you are uncomfortable.” Unfortunately, Jo was beyond uncomfortable – even after recovering from traditional surgery. It was getting more difficult to wear flat shoes and the bunion on her right foot had come back. “I haven’t worn heels in 40 years and couldn’t even get into flats. I had to buy clunky shoes to have plenty of room for my foot with the bunion. It really got to be a drag,” she explains.

After hearing a mention of Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™ on television, Jo went to visit Dr. Franklin Polun at National Foot and Ankle in Bethesda, Maryland to ask him what he knew about the Lapiplasty® Procedure. Dr. Polun was not aware of the new surgical procedure but told Jo he would learn the procedure. A couple of months later, Dr. Polun saw Jo again and told her that “the Lapiplasty® Procedure would be a better option than the traditional bunion surgery she had almost 13 years ago.” He explained that, unlike the traditional bunion surgery, Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™ would correct the bunion in all three dimensions and use special titanium plates to permanently secure the unstable joint.

“I already had the old type of surgery and the bunions came completely back. After seeing my most recent x-rays, it was clear to me that the Lapiplasty® Procedure was the way to go,” she explains. Not only was Jo unable to wear most shoes due to the bunion pain but she also “couldn’t stand for long periods of time, let alone walk because of excruciating pain.” She was ready to leave the painful days behind her.

Jo had Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™ done on her right foot in May 2019. Jo recalls having “achy discomfort but wouldn’t call it pain” after the surgery. Seven weeks after her surgery, Jo was out of the walking boot and under guidance from Dr. Polun went shopping for “ultra-firm supportive sneakers”. Two weeks later, Jo was on a three-week cruise in Amsterdam, Russia and Germany. “Dr. Polun reminded me to take it easy if it felt like I couldn’t handle anything so, we participated in mild excursions.” Five months after surgery, Jo visited New York and walked around the city without needing to ice her foot at the end of each day. Jo is now back to participating in her favorite exercise classes, wears normal sneakers, and recently attended an event where she “stood with no issues for an hour and a half.”

Jo plans to have the Lapiplasty® Procedure on her left foot “whenever that bunion gives me a hard time” but for now it is fine. “I believe that the Lapiplasty® Procedure is the way to go instead of the old way to have bunion surgery.”

Only a surgeon can tell if Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™ is right for you. As with any medical treatment, individual results may vary and this experience is unique and specific to this patient only. There are potential risks with surgery 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.