How Lapiplasty Works and its Advantages
A bunion is a bone deformity that develops on the big toe’s base joint. As a result, the big toe becomes crooked, leaning toward the adjacent toe instead of remaining straight. Sports Medicine Associates of San Antonio provides medical services that can help diagnose and treat your bunion. Without early treatment of this particular toe disorder, you risk the big toe forcing damage to other toes.
When the big toe applies pressure on the other toes, they can bend to form a condition called hammertoes. Toes strained by the big toe can also develop corns. Corns are thick, hard layers of skin that protect the inside skin layers against more pressure or friction.
Also, bunions that go long without treatment can cause inflammation of the affected foot’s ball. This painful condition is medically referred to as metatarsalgia. Bunions can also result in chronic pain in your foot or toe and stiffened toes.
One of the treatments available at the disposal of your podiatrist for treating bunions is Lapiplasty. Below are how Lapiplasty works and its advantages over other bunion treatment solutions.
How Lapiplasty works
The traditional bunion removal surgical procedure involves cutting the protruded metatarsal bone in half vertically and then shifting it inward. The metatarsal bone links your midfoot to your big toe.
Then your podiatrist combines the first metatarsal bone with one of the tiny bones in your midfoot. That allows correction of toe deformity; thus, your big toe can return to being straight.
However, traditional bunion removal surgery may not completely correct your toe problem as it only fixes vertical and horizontal misalignment. Because it assumes a bunion is a bony overgrowth, it does not address the root cause of bunions but their symptoms.
However, lapiplasty allows your surgeon to correct your big toe problem in 3D. Lapiplasty involves the rotation of the metatarsal bone and its return to the right anatomical position. Your podiatrist remedies a bunion without cutting toe structures.
Advantages of getting Lapiplasty
One of the main advantages of getting Lapiplasty is that there will be minimal incisions. Because the incisions are tiny and few, tissues will heal and recover faster, and the scars will not be highly visible.
The faster recovery associated with Lapiplasty makes it a preferred option, unlike conventional surgery for curing bunions. It will take about 15 weeks for your wound to heal completely.
During the first six weeks after Lapiplasty, you must avoid exposing your wound to stress. When you expose the wound of your big toe to more weight and pressure, its recovery will be delayed.
Another common benefit of getting Lapiplasty is that it is usually effective. It corrects the underlying cause of your bunion, and thus it is difficult for the toe issue to reappear.
Remember that lapiplasty bunion surgery is more costly than conventional surgery for correcting bunions. Moreover, lapiplasty bunion surgery is complex and thus has its complications.
For instance, a nerve in your toe can be injured, and the wound can develop an infection. You should therefore put more effort into preventing a bunion if possible.
Contact Marque Allen, DPM, FACFAS, today to book an appointment with a podiatrist that can diagnose and treat bunions.
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