If you experience bunions, you know how painful and inconvenient they can be. You may also be searching for a treatment that can fix the condition with minimal recovery time and side effects. While traditional bunion treatment can have positive results, a newly pioneered method, known as lapiplasty, is becoming much more popular with surgeons. This brief guide explores how the surgery works and how it benefits patients.

What Is Lapiplasty?

This unique, new bunion treatment uses a titanium implant to directly address the factors that cause bunions to form. Lapiplasty is often referred to as a 3D surgery because it alters the way the patient's metatarsal bones rest horizontally, vertically, and rotationally, or in three dimensions. The treatment uses the implant to anchor the affected bones in their natural position, eliminating both the distinctive bump and the underlying deformity of bunions. 

Because this surgery is new, there is little data on how it works in the long term, but surgeons have noted an almost 100% rate of success one year after surgery. These numbers are extremely promising and may foretell lapiplasty's utility as a long-term solution for patients with bunions.

How Does It Differ From Other Bunion Treatments?

Treating the Root Cause

Most people only see the bump caused by bunions and assume it's simply a superficial condition. However, the condition is actually caused by an unstable joint, which enables the metatarsal bones to shift significantly, leaving the toes and foot unaligned and at risk of arthritis. Traditional bunion treatments address the formation of the bump, but they are not capable of fixing the foot's alignment. Lapiplasty addresses the root cause by anchoring the unstable joint and preventing the affected bones from rotating and shifting. 

Recovery

Other techniques for bunion surgery involve removing sections of bone from the big toe to shift the bones back to a neutral position. This invasive surgery leaves many patients unable to walk for weeks, and the recovery times become more protracted the older you are. With lapiplasty, on the other hand, many patients are able to bear weight on their foot within two or three days. For six to eight weeks, the patient will only need the assistance of a walking boot. But after that, they can begin wearing regular shoes again while avoiding intense activity only for another two months.

If you think you would be a good candidate for lapiplasty, reach out to Westside Podiatry Group of Rochester, NY. For over 50 years, these specialized foot care professionals have helped patients take care of their feet and stay mobile for longer. Learn more about their treatments online, and call (585) 225-2290 to schedule an appointment.