Lapiplasty bunion surgery pros and cons every person suffering from bunions should know about! When your big toe has a projecting hump at the base of the foot, it is known as a bunion (hallux valgus). Your big toe will begin to shift toward the other toes as a result of a change in the foot alignment. 

It may hurt when your big toe scrapes against your second toe or when the bump presses on your shoe. Additionally, a misaligned big toe can occasionally cause pain in the ball of the foot. Read about lapiplasty bunion surgery pros and cons.

Can Bunions Be Corrected Without Surgery?

Wearing only wide-toed and soft shoes, utilizing “bunion pads” or toe spacers, and using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs), such as Ibuprofen, are all examples of conservative, nonsurgical treatment for bunions. Toe spacers and other tools that separate the big toe from the second toe may ease pain, but they cannot remove a bunion. Without undergoing surgery, the toe alignment won’t improve over time.

Who Should Have Bunion Surgery?

Lapiplasty bunion surgery pros and cons to remove bunions shouldn’t be done purely for aesthetic reasons. Despite attempting broader, more comfortable shoes, patients who struggle to wear shoes or have pain in their daily lives are given this procedure.

You might be a candidate for surgical bunion correction if you’ve tried wearing wider shoes, cushioning, toe spacers, or other therapies but still have pain that limits your activity.

What Is The Surgery For Bunion Correction?

A metatarsal osteotomy or bunionectomy is the corrective procedure for a bunion. Many methods are used to straighten the big toe and lessen the bump on the side of the foot, but they all require removing the bones and relocating them with metal screws.

Lapiplasty bunion surgery pros and cons is known to be extremely painful and requires a lengthy recovery. However, certain patients may gain from the tremendous benefits of more recent, minimally invasive procedures. Traditionally, these surgeries have been carried out through significant incisions, but at HSS, Anne Holland Johnson, MD, has developed two unique methods to treat bunions with relatively minor incisions.

How Does Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery Work?

In minimally invasive bunion surgery, the bone is sliced with a burr rather than a saw. Instead of the lengthy incisions that are frequently utilized in conventional procedures, this enables the cuts to be made “percutaneously,” or through small incisions made through the skin of the foot.

Because fewer soft tissues (skin, muscle, joint capsule, etc.) are damaged by avoiding major incisions, the foot heals more quickly and less painfully. As a result, it is possible to bear weight right away and return to normal activity levels and bone mending more rapidly. 

Depending on how severe a patient’s bunion is, Anne Holland Johnson, MD, can treat it with one of two minimally invasive techniques:

1. Doctors employ the PECA, or Percutaneous Chevron Akin, treatment for mild to moderate bunions. The big toe and first metatarsal bone must be cut and repositioned to achieve alignment correction.
2. Doctors use the (minimally invasive, or MIS) Percutaneous Lapidus procedure for severe bunions. In addition to removing the toe bone, this requires moving and fusing a joint to move it closer to the arch. Using Anne Holland Johnson, MD’s method, you can treat the bunion in all three dimensions, including rotation. Anne Holland Johnson, M Duse a burr and implant screws through tiny incisions, unlike most surgeons who perform this type of repair using a large incision, a saw, and large plates. This procedure permits early weight bearing with less pain, a better cosmetic result, and a quicker return to work and sport, similar to the PECA approach.

What Are The Benefits Of Lapiplasty Bunion Surgery Pros and Cons

Due to the small incisions, minimally invasive lapiplasty bunion surgery pros and cons has fewer side effects, a quicker recovery, and superior cosmetic outcomes. In painful bunions, it also lowers the chance of recurrence. But for particularly severe bunion abnormalities, open surgery offers a more effective remedy.

Compared to my patients with the open approach, Anne Holland Johnson, MD, sees that those who get the minimally invasive procedure require less pain medication, have a better big-toe range of motion, recover from the procedure, and wear formal shoes in half the time.

Can I Have Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery?

You might require a more complex, open operation if your severe deformity is connected to other foot issues that require surgical intervention. Only a physical examination of your foot can determine this, including examining your foot’s weight-bearing X-rays and watching how you stand. To determine which procedure is best for you, it is best to consult with your orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon.

How Painful Is Bunion Surgery?

Compared to conventional bunion surgery, Anne Holland Johnson, MD’s procedure at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City is much less painful. Every patient has a nerve block, which leaves the foot numb for 24 hours following surgery. According to patient instructions, Ibuprofen and acetaminophen (Tylenol) should also be taken two to three days after surgery. People requiring harsher treatment take less than five pills, and less than half do. The discomfort might be more severe if bunion surgery involves more extensive foot surgery.

How Long Should You Stay Off Your Feet?

Patients should relax and avoid activity for the first two weeks following lapiplasty bunion surgery pros and cons. It is typically advised to elevate the surgical area 50% of the time in the second week and 80% in the first week. You can put weight on your foot after either two to four weeks (for the minimally invasive Lapidus surgery) or after 24 hours (for the PECA surgery, depending on the correction you receive). Most patients take at least two weeks off from work, longer if they must commute by car or public transit unless they work from home.

How Long Does It Take To Recover From Bunion Surgery?

Whether you undergo open or minimally invasive lapiplasty bunion surgery pros and cons will significantly affect how long you fully recover. As opposed to 10 to 12 weeks following open surgery, minimally invasive surgery patients can typically walk in regular footwear after around six weeks following the PECA operation or eight weeks following the MIS Lapidus technique. After then, exercise is raised to the patient’s tolerance level. Running and jumping are prohibited for twelve weeks, although cycling, spinning, walking, and swimming are permitted as the patient can.

Recovery From Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery

You will be given a customized surgical post-op shoe after undergoing PECA surgery. You can bear your total weight practically immediately once the full sensation in your foot has been restored. To reduce edema and promote wound healing, you must limit your activities for the first two weeks following surgery and elevate your foot 50% to 80% of the time. After the first two weeks, you could be given a bunion splint to keep the postsurgical alignment in place. You can gradually increase your walking during this period and return to your regular daily routines.

How Long After Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery Can I Wear Normal Shoes?

After surgery, you must wear the unique post-op shoe for around six weeks. Depending on your level of swelling and comfort, you can start wearing regular sneakers after six weeks. By three months after surgery, most patients can wear all sneakers and boots as well as flat, cozy shoes. After surgery, patients may endure some edema for six to twelve months, making wearing high-end shoes difficult. 

The time it takes to put on conventional shoes can vary depending on the individual and whether or not the foot has undergone additional surgery, such as a hammertoe correction. Usually, 10 to 12 weeks after surgery, you can wear a conventional sneaker. From that point on, you can raise your activity level as tolerated.

How Successful Are Bunion Operations, And What Are The Risks?

Most people are pleased with their bunion surgery. The results are excellent, provided the patient properly adheres to the postoperative guidelines. Surgery for bunions is not without dangers, though. Any foot operation can result in delayed bone healing, albeit this seldom happens. Patients who overextend themselves too quickly (against medical advice) or have health conditions that may interfere with a bone recovery run a higher risk of experiencing this risk. 

After the treatment, some numbness may be felt near the incisions. Usually, this fades away after three to six months. Rarely, it might continue. Bleeding, blood clots, and anesthesia-related concerns are other uncommon problems. Any bunion treatment can result in recurrence; this risk is not known to be higher in patients with minimally invasive bunion correction surgery.

The Pros and Cons of Lapiplasty Bunion Surgery…

Due to the inherited nature of bunions, various medical disorders may increase a person’s risk of recurrent bunions. Any disease that increases tissue flexibility or hypermobility may be the reason for recurrence. The bunion may return if the bones don’t correctly mend. When possible, use intelligent, comfortable shoes to maintain your bunion correction.