Fellsmere, Florida, resident Michelle, 46, has a lifestyle that keeps her on her toes. The mom of four boys also works full-time as a dental assistant and office manager. She took pride in participating as the team mom on multiple baseball and football teams as they grew up. She also serves as an advocate for her youngest son, who has special needs. What nobody saw was the pain she lived with for more than 16 years due to severe bunions. She first noticed discomfort while playing volleyball as a young woman, but the condition progressed over the years and began taking its toll on her lifestyle. She knew she needed to find an effective treatment option.
“I have always been one to push through the pain because I wanted to be there for my kids,” recalled Michelle. “I kept telling myself to grin and bear it and spent a lot of time arguing with myself, knowing that I needed to sit down and rest my feet but also doing my best not to miss out on anything with my family.”
Michelle’s life-altering problem is not uncommon. An estimated 25 percent of people in the United States suffer from bunions. The condition is a bone deformity caused by an unstable joint in the foot that allows the big toe to drift out of alignment. Patients often experience progressive pain and discomfort during physical activity and eventually even when resting.
“As time went on, my pain escalated to the point where just lying in bed with the sheets over my feet made it feel like they were on fire. It did not matter whether or not I was wearing shoes—my feet always hurt,” said Michelle.
Michelle eventually concluded that she needed to undergo corrective surgery and scheduled an appointment with Dr. Amber Morra at Vero Orthopaedics. After examining Michelle and taking X-rays of her feet, Dr. Morra concluded that traditional bunion surgery known as osteotomy would not be an effective solution for her. Instead, she recommended Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™, an innovative procedure that uses a set of titanium plates to correct all three dimensions of the bunion and secure the unstable joint in the middle of the foot; which is the actual root cause.
“I was intrigued by the story behind the Lapiplasty procedure and the encouragement to fix my bunion ‘right the first time.’ I never wanted to undergo traditional surgery because I saw others go through it and regret it. I felt this procedure would fix my problem the right way.”
Encouraged by the possibility of pain relief, Michelle underwent the procedure on her right foot on December 22, 2019, followed by her left foot on October 20, 2020.
“Dr. Morra was absolutely wonderful. I knew that recovering was not going to be easy because I am the type of person who likes to get up, do things, and stay active,” said Michelle, “But she did such an amazing job on both of my feet. It was all worth it.”
Less than three months after her second surgery, Michelle was fully cleared for physical activity. She continues to see improvements in both the appearance of her foot and her stamina every day. She is elated to be able to wear sandals without seeing the large bumps on her feet caused by her bunions.
“My bunion pain was affecting every aspect of my life before surgery including my ability to do my job comfortably,” remembered Michelle. “I have no pain now. I am thrilled with how both of my procedures went.”
To others suffering from the pain and discomfort of bunions, Michelle recommends seeking treatment sooner rather than later. “It can be a scary decision to make, but you will be so happy that you made the choice to have this problem fixed.”
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.
To speak with Dr. Morra about your options for chronic foot pain or discomfort, call (772) 569-2330 or schedule an appointment online.
