4 Surprising Facts on Bunionectomy Surgery

Bunionectomy surgery is a procedure that treats a painful bunion at the base of the big toe. It is also commonly called bunion surgery, or hallux valgus correction.

In bunionectomy surgery, the bump on the large bone of the big toe, the metatarsal bone, is typically shaved down with a surgical saw. Most bunionectomies also involve a metatarsal osteotomy, where the metatarsal bone is cut in half, and the top part is shifted in to reduce the bump and help realign the big toe.

Osteotomy bunionectomies therefore only provide a 2D correction, targeting the cosmetic bump by cutting and shifting the bone, but do not address all 3 dimensions of the bunion or the root cause of the deformity (an unstable joint in the middle of the foot).

If you are considering bunion surgery, here are 4 surprising facts related to bunionectomy surgery.

1. 1. 1. 87% of bunions are misaligned in 3 dimensions.¹
      2. 12X likelihood of bunion returning if the 3D problem isn’t addressed.²
      3. 1 in 3 patients are dissatisfied after osteotomy bunion surgery.³
      4. 70% of bunion patients may have their bunion return over time. ³

Fortunately, bunion surgery has changed. There have been significant advancements in bunion surgery that work in a different way to address the bunion deformity and do not merely rely on cutting or shaving the bone.

Consider the Lapiplasty® Procedure. It is the #1 bunion product in the U.S.⁴ It provides a 3D fix for the 3D problem by realigning the entire metatarsal bone, rather than just shaving it. It also fixes the root cause (unstable joint in the middle of the foot) using specialized titanium plates to get you back on your feet quickly in a walking boot.

Take a quiz to see if Lapiplasty® may be right for you and look for a surgeon in your area.