As a cyber security consultant, Mikini finds herself in and out of airports almost every day. Mikini also likes to travel on her own time. But last year while she was on vacation in Dubai, she found herself unable to do many activities because of severe foot pain.

Mikini had an increasingly painful bunion; a bone deformity caused by an unstable joint that allows the big toe to drift out of alignment and progressively worsens over time. Although the DC resident says she was “never a runner” she did enjoy walking and working out. But even those activities had to stop because she was “no longer able to stand for long periods of time” and often at the end of the day her “foot was swollen making walking more difficult.”

After seeing a Facebook ad for Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™ Mikini signed up for a Lapiplasty® webinar on AlignMyToe.com. She searched for a surgeon near her who performed the Lapiplasty® Procedure and met with Dr. Franklin Polun of National Foot and Ankle for a consultation. Dr. Polun took x rays and made sure she was a good candidate for the procedure. He explained that Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™ would “correct the bunion in all three dimensions and use special titanium plates to permanently secure the unstable joint.” And he shared that, unlike traditional surgery, the Lapiplasty® Procedure has a published recurrence rate of only 3% in a 13-month trial! 1

Mikini was “intrigued by the published successful recurrence rate and the idea of being able to walk in a boot shortly after surgery.” 1 She also said “to me, Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™ seemed like a good option because no bones would be shaved, and it was designed for a shorter recovery time.”

Mikini recalls “wasting money on shoes that would be comfortable for a short time before the bunion rubbed against it causing pain.” She also admits to “feeling stressed trying to figure out the least amount of walking to do because my feet were hurting.”

In December 2019 had the Lapiplasty® Procedure done on her left foot. She was non-weight bearing for two weeks. While she says her “recovery wasn’t painful” she “took pain killers for a couple of days once the nerve block wore off.”

A native of Ohio, Mikini went home for the holidays to visit family and her mother was helpful. When she was back in DC, she relied on delivery services to have food ordered as she had no family in the area. Nine weeks after surgery, Mikini is out of the walking boot and back in tennis shoes now. “Dr Polun has released me to do everything but run now. It feels good to go out and get things myself without being in pain.”

When asked about her experience, Mikini says “In my opinion, Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™ is a great surgery. I’ve recommended it to several people considering bunion surgery. I feel it’s important to have patience with the recovery process and to ask your doctors lots of questions and follow his recommendation to the letter.”

1. Ray J, et al. Foot Ankle Int. 2019 Aug;40(8):955-960.

Only a surgeon can tell if Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™ is right for you. As with any medical treatment, individual results may vary and this experience is unique and specific to this patient only. There are potential risks with surgery and recovery takes time. Potential risks include, but are not limited to: infection, discomfort from the presence of the implant, loosening of the implant, and loss of correction with nonunion or malunion.