This real patient was compensated for the time they took to share their personal experience with the Arthrex Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy procedure.
As a second-grade teacher for 23 years, Lisa P’s days were spent on her feet. From being at the front of the class, to walking children to gym class, to taking the 4 flights of stairs to her classroom, Lisa never stopped moving. At home, it was much of the same as she kept up with her 3 children, who are now grown. Unfortunately, bunions on both feet made all that activity difficult. “At the end of the day, my bunions would be red and painful,” Lisa says. But after undergoing the Arthrex Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy, Lisa is ready to embrace her retirement and experience favorite activities without bunion pain.
Bunions Run in Lisa’s Family
Numerous family members, including her father, mother, and great-grandmother, suffered from bunions. Lisa even remembers her great-grandmother cutting holes in the sides of her shoes to make room for her painful bunions.
Lisa started noticing her bunions when she was in her 20s, and they became more severe over the years.
Lisa’s mother, who is in her 80s, was a big inspiration for finally looking into surgery for her bunions and bunionette (a bunion located on the pinky toe of the foot).
Her mom tried every conservative option she could find and still dealt with regular pain. Additionally, Lisa says, “I looked at her ugly feet and said, ‘I can’t be like that in 20 years.’”
Though Lisa dealt with her bunions for decades, she was nervous about pursuing surgery after hearing “horror stories” from friends and family. However, she decided to undergo a traditional bunion surgery on her left foot in 2020 and had an uneventful recovery—but one that was longer than she liked.
When she decided to look into surgery for her right foot a couple years later, Lisa was excited to learn about the faster recovery1,2 of the Arthrex Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy.
Enter your zip to find an Arthrex Bunionectomy doctor near you
A Positive Experience and Recovery
Lisa learned about the Arthrex Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy from a friend’s husband, who worked at the same hospital as her foot and ankle surgeon. Her surgeon told her about the minimally invasive surgery that uses tiny pinhole incisions and allows patients to go home the same day.
Lisa underwent the Arthrex Bunionectomy in late December 2022. While she experienced some postsurgical pain, she felt she only needed to take prescribed pain medication for 1 day before switching to over-the-counter solutions. She went home wearing a surgical shoe, transitioned to an “air boot” walking cast which she found easier to walk in, then moved to a hard orthotic insert in her sneaker.
Approximately 2 months after surgery, she had almost no residual swelling. “Every day, I notice less,” Lisa says
Around the same timeframe, she was already experiencing better range-of-motion in her right big toe than in the left that underwent traditional bunion surgery 2 years prior.
Looking Forward to the Next, Pain-Free Adventure
Lisa recently retired after more than 2 decades as a teacher. Her 3 children are out of the house and she is looking forward to the next stage of life, including traveling and tutoring.
“I have to stay busy!” she jokes.
After the Arthrex Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy, she is hopeful retirement could also include are turn to running, which used to be a favorite hobby.
In 2016, Lisa ran in the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend but fell and broke her foot early in the 5K race. She returned for a 10K and half marathon and is excited to think she might be able to do another race weekend now that she no longer experiences bunion pain.
"Your body is off when your feet aren’t aligned. I’d like to return to recreational running and see what it’s like after 2 surgeries,” she says.
Already, Lisa has recommended the Arthrex Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy to a chef friend with very severe bunion pain and to numerous acquaintances.
“If I had to get another surgery, I would get the Arthrex Bunionectomy,” she says. “I would do it again.”
References
- Lee M, Walsh J, Smith MM, Ling J, Wines A, Lam P. Hallux valgus correction comparing percutaneouschevron/Akin (PECA) and open scarf/Akin osteotomies. Foot Ankle Int. 2017;38(8):838-846.doi:10.1177/1071100717704941
- Lai MC, Rikhraj IS, Woo YL, Yeo W, Ng YCS, Koo K. Clinical and radiological outcomes comparingpercutaneous chevron-Akin osteotomies vs open scarf-Akin osteotomies for hallux valgus. Foot Ankle Int. 2018;39(3):311-317. doi:10.1177/1071100717745282
This real patient was compensated for the time they took to share their personal experience with the Arthrex Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy procedure.
