Several years ago, 60-year-old Michele transitioned from a job working on the floor of a production plant in favor of a position in a corporate office. Little did she know that her career change would lead to many days spent dealing with excruciating pain in her right foot. Michelle suffered from bunions, which are a bone deformity caused by an unstable joint that progressively worsens over time. Though she had developed bunions in both feet, her previous job allowed her to wear flexible and wide set shoes. Her new position required corporate dress including heeled shoes that rubbed and pinched her bunion so badly that Michele could barely walk a few feet without having to take a break. She explained, “I used to sit at my desk and list all the tasks that required me to stand and walk, including printing and faxing documents and even using the restroom. Then, I would wait until the last second before my deadline and rush to get all those tasks done at once so I could limit the time I spent on my feet.” Michele also kept plush slippers under her desk to wear to help offset pain.

Michele found that she was also making other changes in her life because of bunion pain. She has a passion for motorcycles and regularly takes long drives in her scenic hometown outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. When placing her feet on the metal kickstand to park her bike became too painful, she began limiting her time on the road. She also gave up hiking after larger and wider shoes failed to provide the pain-free support she needed. “Years ago, I actually had a bunion on my left foot corrected and the recovery was long and extremely painful,” Michele recalled. “I didn’t want to go through it again, but I also knew I couldn’t live with the pain in my right foot for much longer.” Then, Michele overheard some friends talking about their own bunions and how they had been treated with a new type of bunion surgery, Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™. Michele considered taking action.

Armed with information from her friends, Michele went online to find podiatrists in her area who could help her. She made an appointment with Dr. Seth Steber at Carlisle Foot & Ankle Specialists to learn more about her options. During her visit, he explained how a newly patented procedure – Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™ – was different than the 2D osteotomy she had on her left foot. The surgical technique would allow him to correct all three dimensions of her bunion, returning her bone to natural 3D alignment; its proper position. Titanium plates would then be used to secure the previously unstable joint to help reduce the risk that her bunion would return. “All that was well and good, but the selling point for me was the potential for a faster recovery. I thought that would certainly be worthwhile,” Michele said. After undergoing the procedure in January 2018, Michele is back to enjoying her normal activities without pain – and is no longer limited by her footwear. “After surgery, I bought maybe five or six pairs of different shoes! Now, I want people to look down and comment on my feet!”

Michele no longer has to cope with the daily physical struggles of living with bunion pain, but the Lapiplasty® Procedure has also improved her emotional wellbeing. “An emotional strain is really the best way to describe living with bunion pain. I felt like I had to rearrange my life around my bunions – when I would stand and walk at the office, which tasks I would complete, which activities I could do outside of work, etc. Not being able to do the things you want to do is frustrating for anyone. The difference between then and now is amazing,” she said.

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.