When 21-year-old Lauren’s college diving career began at Marshall University, she should have felt excited about what was to come. Instead, all she could think about was the pain she had in her feet. Lauren always noticed that she had bunions on her feet, but when she got to college, the pain became unbearable. When the condition started to impact her ability to train for diving, she knew she had to find a long-term treatment option¹.

“When I started diving during my freshman year, I told my parents and coaches that I couldn’t do four years of this because of the pain I was in,” Lauren says. “Over time, it was getting more severe. It was not only affecting my diving but my daily life too.”

Throughout her first semester of college, Lauren tried several nonsurgical methods to treat her bunions. Unfortunately, nothing eased the pain. After months of injections, steroid pills and wearing wider shoes, Lauren was beginning to experience the emotional effects of living with bunions when her trainers recommended that she make an appointment with Dr. Michael Gentile at Marshall Health in Huntington, West Virginia².

“It was frustrating and depressing to think that there might never be a way to fix my feet,” recalls Lauren. “I just wanted to be able to walk and train without worrying about them. The chronic pain really took a toll on me.”

During her first appointment with Dr. Gentile, Lauren learned about Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™, a relatively new procedure that used a different approach from traditional surgery. Dr. Gentile explained that Lapiplasty® differs from traditional bunion treatments in that it involves properly aligning and securing the bones in the foot, correcting the joint’s deformity at its root cause.^3,4 Lapiplasty® corrects the structure of the bones and secures them to provide a stable foundation and get patients back on their feet relatively quickly in 3-10 days in a walking boot^5,6.

Prior to visiting Dr. Gentile, Lauren was not convinced surgery would be the best option for her. As a college athlete, Lauren did not want to take an extended period off from diving. But after meeting with Dr. Gentile and learning about Lapiplasty®, Lauren scheduled surgery on her left foot for December 2020.

As part of her surgeon’s recovery plan, Lauren was non-weight bearing in a soft cast for two weeks before she was cleared to bear weight while wearing a walking boot. For the next six weeks, she was advised to do physical therapy until she was cleared to wear regular tennis shoes. After four months of recovery, she was back to diving at her surgeon’s discretion⁷.

Since her procedures, Lauren is back to diving every day and training for 20 hours a week. She says that her feet feel stronger and more stable. This summer, she plans to coach gymnastics at a camp. She is studying health sciences and plans to be a strength and conditioning coach after graduating.

When asked about how Lapiplasty® has changed her life, Lauren remarks, “Being able to wear heels or really any shoe longer for than an hour, walk or run for long periods of time and practice without foot pain has made a world of difference. I never thought I would be able to do that.”

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.