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Learn More About 3D Bunion Correction™

If bunions are limiting your activities and causing pain, you have options. There are different types of procedures or therapies your provider may recommend. Labpiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction is a surgical option you can discuss with your foot and ankle orthopedic specialist.

Are Bunions Limiting Your Activities and Lifestyle?

Bunions can be very painful. With each step, your entire body weight rests on that bunion. Ouch! A common misconception about a bunion is that it is an overgrowth of bone that can simply be "shaved off". In reality, bunions are complex deformities caused by an unstable joint.

Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction

Relief is here. Now, there's a new, patented treatment for bunion correction – Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction. IHS is offering this exciting, new treatment option which does more than simply remove "the bump"; it addresses your bunion in three dimensions to correct the root of the problem. Advanced fixation technology is used to secure the correction in place, allowing patients to walk within days of surgery.

Why Was Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction Developed?

For 87% of people with bunions, traditional bunion correction surgery has failed to get to the true source of the problem – a 3-dimensional deformity caused by an unstable joint.2 This is why many people who have had traditional surgery have had their bunions return.3 In fact, 1 in 3 patients have been left dissatisfied with their surgical outcome in the past and up to 70% of those treated have had their bunion return.4

How Does Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™ Work?

Instead of cutting the bone in half and shifting the top part over, the patented Lapiplasty® Procedure uses specially-designed instrumentation to rotate the entire deviated bone back into its normal anatomical position, naturally straightening your toe; removing the "bump" and associated pain. Innovative titanium plating technology5,6 permanently secures the unstable foundation, the root of your bunion problem. Most patients are able to walk within days of surgery.1 No cast is required; allowing patients to get back to the shoe wear of their choice and activities quickly.1

What Should I Expect In Terms Of Recovery?

The patented titanium plating technology used with the Lapiplasty® Procedure enables patients to bear weight on their foot early.1 The ability to do so can dramatically improve your recovery process, allowing you to walk up to 6-8 weeks earlier than with the more traditional Lapidus approach (which was previously the only option for addressing the unstable joint).

Being able to walk in a surgical boot, as opposed to being completely non-weight bearing (in a cast with scooter or crutches) for 6-8 weeks, means that you will be getting back to a better quality of life faster; may return to most occupations more quickly; and will be less inconvenienced by bunion surgery.8

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some questions patients commonly ask and their respective answers:

How long does it take to recover from a Lapiplasty® Procedure?

Patients are typically walking within days of surgery. Patients can return to most occupations within days to a couple of weeks, wearing a surgical boot. Within six weeks, you can expect to be walking in comfortable shoes such as tennis shoes, however you should not plan on any high-impact activities for 3-4 months. Short shopping trips and leisurely strolls are examples of the types of activities that should be fine at this point. Around the 4-month mark post-op, you should be able to return to most activities and most shoe wear.9

Can I wear fashionable shoes again?

The Lapiplasty® Procedure allows most patients to return to their desired shoes. Of course, some fashionable shoes can be painful (even with a normal foot!), so results can vary from person to person and shoe to shoe.

Can I play sports after the Lapiplasty® Procedure?

Yes, there are no permanent activity limitations after the Lapiplasty® Procedure. Most patients are able to return to most activities after the bones have completely healed at approximately 4 months.9

Can the Lapiplasty® Procedure be performed on someone who has previously had traditional surgery?

Yes, the Lapiplasty® Procedure is an option that can be utilized by your doctor when a revision is required. Even if previously treated, patients can experience the same benefits from Lapiplasty®– with a permanently secured foundational joint this time around.

I’ve heard the term "reproducible" used when describing the Lapiplasty® Procedure. What does that mean?

"Reproducible" means that a procedure is easily repeatable with expected results. The Lapiplasty® Procedure utilizes precision, patented instrumentation designed to take the guesswork and "eyeballing" out of bunion surgery; helping ensure your surgeon can get reliable results over and over.

Can the Lapiplasty® Procedure be performed as an outpatient procedure & how long does it last?

Yes, Lapiplasty®surgeries are performed as outpatient procedures. Typically, the surgery will last just under an hour. If your doctor is performing any additional procedures at the same time, the surgery may take longer.

References

  1. Smith B, Santrock R, Dayton P, Hatch D. Immediate Weight Bearing after Biplanar Plantar Fixation of Lapidus: A Multi-Centered Study. 2017 AOFAS Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
  2. Kim Y, Kim JS, Young KW, et al. Foot Ankle Int. 2015. 36:944-52.
  3. Okuda R, Kinoshita M, Yasuda T, et al. JBJS. 2007. 89:2163-72.
  4. Jeuken RM, et al. Foot Ankle Int. 2016. 37:687-95.
  5. Dayton P, Ferguson J, Hatch D, Santrock R, Scanlan S, Smith B. 2016. Comparison of the Mechanical Characteristics of a Universal Small Biplane Plating Technique Without Compression Screw and Single Anatomic Plate With Compression Screw. J Foot Ankle Surg. 55:567-71.
  6. Dayton P, Ferguson J, Hatch D, Santrock R, Scanlan S, Smith B. Biplanar Plating with an Anatomic Tension-Side Plate for Lapidus Fusion: Improved Biomechanical Properties. Accepted for presentation at 2017 AOFAS Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA. Submitted for publication.
  7. Dayton P, Ferguson J, Hatch D, et al.. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2016. 55:567-71.
  8. Catanzariti, AR, et al. Jrnl Foot Ankle Surgery, 38:325-32.
  9. MacMahon, A, et al. Foot Ankle Int. 2016. 37: 378-85.

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