#bunionpain #arthrex #bunionsurgery

Loretta C describes herself as always on the move and loves “just enjoying life” with her husband. But for several years, her activities and the level to which she could enjoy them were limited by pain caused by a bunion on her left foot.

Loretta was familiar with the symptoms of a bunion, as well as the potential complications of traditional “open” surgical correction. In 2014, she underwent correction for a painful bunion on her right foot, but her experience with the procedure was not at all positive, she says.

After her traditional bunion surgery, her foot was swollen for 6 weeks; she was in a surgical boot for even longer; and it was “2 to 3 months” before she could wear a soft, sneaker-like shoe, Loretta says. She still experiences stiffness in that toe, and has a large, long scar on her right foot that is still visible Because of this experience, Loretta put off finding a solution for the painful bunion on her left foot.

Although her bunion pain limited her activities, she was very concerned that another procedure would keep her out of work and prevent driving herself to the office—in addition to worrying about the lingering pain and swelling she experienced with her first surgery.  

But in late 2019, on the verge of retirement and with a planned Caribbean vacation on the horizon, Loretta finally decided to again explore surgical correction for her bunion. She visited a podiatrist in her area, who recommended she visit an orthopedic surgeon.  

Her surgeon, who is trained in the Arthrex Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy procedure, explained to Loretta that he would make “pinhole” incisions to complete her surgery, then realign the bones of her big toe. The small incisions disrupt less tissue than open procedures, which her doctor told her meant she should experience less swelling and pain.¹

And, crucially to this active retiree, he told her she should be back in action much more quickly than after her previous open procedure.²

The result?
“Everything he told me about it was completely true,” Loretta says. “There was less pain. I couldn’t believe it… I was absolutely shocked!”
The minimal swelling she experienced subsided after just 10 days, Loretta says. She spent about the same amount of time in a surgical boot before transitioning to a soft, sneaker-style shoe. And within a few days, she was back to enjoying some activities with her husband.  

While her right toe is still stiff many years after her open procedure, within 3 months of her Arthrex Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy she was back to enjoying all her favorite activities, from dance exercise classes to shoe shopping. She is excited that, with her bunion corrected and just two tiny dots on her skin, she feels confident wearing her favorite shoes again. “It’s just comfortable getting back out there again and being as active as I want to be,” Loretta says. “I can scrunch my toes, do tippy-toes.”

With retirement the couple’s travel plans have only grown, and now Loretta does not have to fear limiting herself on vacation. Many visits are to beachfront locales, where she can take walks on the beach, wade in the water, and wear sandals to her heart’s content.

“The healing process, for me, was excellent,” Loretta says.“I have no pain at all anymore. No pain, and no fear of shopping for shoes!”

See Loretta’s full story at: [ Ссылка ]

References
1.  Lee M, Walsh J., Smith MM, Ling J, Wines A, Lam P. Hallux valgus correction comparing percutaneous chevron/Akin (PECA) and open scarf/Akin osteotomies. Foot Ankle Int. 2017;38(8):838-846. doi:10.1177/1071100717704941
2. Lai MC, Rikhraj IS, Woo YL, Yeo W, Ng YCS, Koo K. Clinical and radiological outcomes comparing percutaneous chevron-Akin osteotomies vs open scarf-Akin osteotomies for hallux valgus. Foot Ankle Int. 2018;39(3):311-317.doi:10.1177/1071100717745282

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Arthrex Inc., headquartered in Naples, Florida, is a global leader in orthopedic surgical device design, research, manufacturing, and medical education. Arthrex develops and releases more than 1,000 new products and procedures every year to advance minimally invasive orthopedics worldwide.

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