53-year-old Memphis resident Shannon has always enjoyed staying active. The army veteran’s passions include running half marathons and taking fitness classes. But when pain in her foot became intolerable and kept her from doing the things she loves, she decided to look into a pain relief option that popped up on her Facebook newsfeed.

Shannon’s pain was caused by a bunion, a bone deformity caused by an unstable joint that causes the big toe to drift out of alignment. The condition cannot correct itself on its own and progressively worsens over time. Shannon admits that she has a high pain tolerance—her time in the army taught her to push through pain—but her bunion was making her daily life more and more difficult.

Shannon’s job as a director of talent acquisition for a paper products manufacturer means that she frequently has to travel to visit worksites. While on the job, she found herself in worsening pain from wearing steel-toed shoes and walking long distances. She even noticed that walking on the beach with her husband, in unstable sand, during Caribbean vacations was becoming very painful.

Shannon had previously visited a podiatrist to learn more about available treatment options for bunion correction. She was not encouraged by the information showing that the most common option of shaving down the protruding bone does not address the root cause of the bunion and has a high risk of recurrence.¹ She felt that there had to be a better option to fit her lifestyle and recovery goals. After discovering a video about Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction®, she decided to consult a locally-trained doctor, Dr. Daniel Tucker of OrthoNow in Memphis. He explained that this procedure would correct all three dimensions of her bunion while using special titanium plates to secure the unstable joint—similar to aligning the tires of a car that had become unbalanced.

“The surgery made complete sense once I thought about it mechanically,” said Shannon. “I researched it for months with my husband and friends and we all agreed that it was the best option for me.” She decided to schedule her surgery in January 2020 just after completing the 2019 St. Jude Half Marathon, a race she has run annually for the past seven years.

Shannon had the Lapiplasty® Procedure on January 23, 2020. After two weeks, she was able to start walking in a protected boot. By March 18^th, she was cleared to wear a normal tennis shoe and return to physical activities. She was scheduled for a class in the gym on March 20^th when COVID-19 caused her to re-think her workout plans. She began walking, weightlifting and using her elliptical while the gym was closed. She set a goal to run on June 3^rd National Running Day and met it.

Now fully recovered, Shannon is looking forward to getting back to running in races and traveling. She is training for the next St. Jude Half Marathon in the fall and is excited to be able to travel to the Caribbean with her husband again soon to really enjoy a walk on the beach.

Shannon’s advice for others dealing with bunion pain is to take care of the problem before it becomes unbearable. She has recommended the Lapiplasty® Procedure to a hair stylist at her salon and shared her success with members of her church as well as multiple friends. “Listen to your body,” she advises. “Listen to your physician and do your homework. Don’t be afraid to ask even the simplest question.”

Lapiplasty® is a surgical procedure. Only a surgeon can tell if Lapiplasty® Procedure is right for you. This experience is unique and specific to this patient only. Individual results may vary depending on age, weight, health, and other variables. There are risks and recovery takes time. For more information about recovery from the Lapiplasty® Procedure, see the recovery information and discuss the post-surgery recovery process with your doctor. Risks include infection, pain, implant loosening and loss of correction with improper bone healing. For more information on benefits, risks and recovery, visit www.Lapiplasty.com.