Sandy, a 50-year old medical sales representative from South Carolina, has lived with bunions on both feet for as long as she could remember. Her occupation required her to dress formally but, by the time she reached her late 30’s, the discomfort caused by the bunions forced her to stop wearing tight, high-heeled footwear.

Since 2005, Sandy has specialized in selling products to podiatrists and had become friendly with many of them. In 2008, she consulted with a podiatrist in Chicago, where she lived at the time, about possibly having them treated but ultimately decided against surgical correction. Over the next decade, the pain worsened and the deformities on both feet became more severe. Still, she elected to wait to have surgery since she had heard negative stories from friends and families.

By 2016, Sandy had reached her tipping point. She was attending church, wearing the most comfortable footwear she owned, when she had to remove both shoes to rub her bunions for relief. She knew then that it was time to look into a permanent fix.

A physician in her area suggested Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction. And, when she found herself stationed next to Treace Medical (who developed the Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™ procedure) at an industry trade show in early 2017, she decided to explore the procedure.

After researching physicians who performed the Lapiplasty® Procedure in her area, Sandy scheduled a visit with Dr. Bret Smith in Lexington, S.C. Dr. Smith was one of the surgeons involved in the design of the Lapiplasty® Procedure. Dr. Smith believed Sandy was a good candidate for the procedure and she underwent surgery on her right foot in February 2017. Encouraged by that procedure, she returned again in November 2017 to have her left foot treated.

Just days following both of her surgeries, Sandy was able to put weight on the affected feet while wearing a walking boot. And, in just five weeks after her surgeries, she was back to walking in tennis shoes. Today, Sandy can wear many of the shoes she had to give up because of her bunions. She is fully functional and has conversations with many of her podiatrist customers about her experience with Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction^™.

“As someone who works in the field of orthopedics, I had a good sense of how the Lapiplasty® Procedure differed from conventional bunion surgery, in that, Lapiplasty® corrects the problem in all three dimensions,” said Sandy. “I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”

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.