These are Your Options to Remove Bunions: Leonard Greenwald, DPM: Podiatrist (2024)

FAQs

What is the new method of removing bunions? ›

Lapiplasty® is a new procedure using patented technology to correct not only the bunion, but its root cause. It straightens three dimensions of alignment of the metatarsal bone.

Among the most common surgical bunion treatments is an osteotomy. An osteotomy involves shaving or cutting the part of the bone that protrudes from your foot. It can also involve cutting the first phalange or metatarsal to shorten and realign the bones. Pins are used to hold the newly segmented bones in place.

A podiatric surgeon can remove the bunion and realign the toe joint in a common operation known as a first metatarsal osteotomy ('bunionectomy'). However, there are more than 130 different types of operation that fall under this title, so each individual surgery is different.

The only way to permanently remove bunions is surgery, sometimes called a bunionectomy. There are a few different ways to surgically remove a bunion, and all are common. Your podiatrist will take a look at your foot to determine the best approach to help you find permanent bunion relief.

Lapiplasty^® technology can be used to address mild, moderate, and severe bunions. The Lapiplasty^® Procedure corrects the entire bone and secures the unstable foundation to get you back on your feet in a walking boot within 3-10 days.

Is Lapiplasty covered by Insurance? Lapiplasty surgery is for a true orthopaedic condition and is most frequently covered by most commercial and government insurances. Each insurance plan is different, and cost may be subject to deductible, coinsurance, and maximum out of pocket.

In most cases, bunions can be treated nonsurgically. One of the podiatrists from our team can examine your bunion(s) and recommend a conservative treatment which includes one or more of the following: Custom shoe orthotics (inserts) that relieve pressure on the joint and align your weight in a more beneficial way.

In general, it takes about six weeks after bunion surgery for the bone to fully mend. But that doesn't mean you'll be laid up in bed for a month and a half. With a bunionectomy procedure like Bunionplasty®, created by Dr. Blitz, patients can walk the same day as their surgery.

Although bunions can also be addressed by an orthopedic doctor, your best course of action is to see a podiatrist, who specializes in the treatment of conditions or injuries involving the foot or ankle.

Is walking barefoot good for bunions? ›

Going barefoot is ideal in the beginning stages of bunions. When barefoot, the joints of the toes will get stronger, an important part of good foot health.

Surgery may be right for you if your toe is too painful, if your bunion is very big, or if you can't easily do your daily activities. It's not clear how well bunion surgery works or which kind of surgery is best.

During traditional bunion surgery, which is notoriously painful, surgeons make large incisions -- sometimes nearly two and a half inches long. Then they cut the bone, realign the joint, and screw it in place.

Lapiplasty uses 3D technology to permanently fix the root issues that caused you to develop bunions. Rather than simply shaving off your bunion, as would happen in traditional surgery, lapiplasty derotates and shifts your out-of-place joints, stabilizing them and ensuring your bunion won't return.

A typical recovery timeline for the Lapiplasty^® Procedure is as follows: At 2 weeks begin to put some weight on your foot. Next 4-6 weeks walk in a boot and return to light activities. At 6-8 weeks transition back into comfortable shoes.

Dr. Lapidus performed the first truly original Lapidus operation on April 8, 1931. As he was the one to popularize the procedure, it bears his name without he himself claiming originality as the procedure was initially advocated twenty years earlier in 1911 by Dr. Albrecht.