Bringing Bunion Relief to Pittsburgh

After serving the Pittsburgh community for most of my career, I was excited to celebrate the opening of my new practice, Greater Pittsburgh Foot & Ankle Center, in July 2022. I have been treating patients with a variety of musculoskeletal-related problems for more than 14 years. However, many of them suffer from bunions, a progressive and painful bone deformity seen in almost 25% of Americans. While many assume the condition is a simple overgrowth of bone on the side of the big toe, the problem is actually a much more complex deformity that progresses unless it is surgically corrected. After many years of seeing patients suffer, I helped design an innovative treatment option called Lapiplasty® as an alternative to traditional bunion removal procedures. To date, I have performed over 350 Lapiplasty® procedures on patients from the Pittsburgh area and beyond and my practice has been designated a Lapiplasty® Elite Center.

There is a common misconception that older women experience bunions as a result of wearing high heels, but in reality, the deformity often runs in families and is seen in people of all ages, genders and walks of life. A bunion is caused by an unstable joint in the middle of the foot that allows the big toe to drift out of alignment. This can cause pain and callous formations on the side of the big toe. Many of my patients remark that their pain becomes worse over the years, eventually impacting their abilities to walk, bike and even wear shoes. They often find themselves cutting back on physical activities as their condition worsens, which can have an emotional impact as well.

I usually recommend that patients first try to manage their bunion discomfort using non-invasive methods such as orthotics and pads, but the condition cannot be corrected without surgery. Traditional surgical bunion treatments involved shaving down the protruding bone on the side of the toe during a 2D osteotomy procedure. However, the method often requires patients to remain non-weightbearing for multiple weeks. Because the 2D osteotomy procedure doesn’t correct the root cause of the bunion deformity, it comes with about a 70% chance that the condition will recur.

I began working with other surgeons and researchers in 2016 to develop a new treatment method that corrected the root cause of bunions—the three-dimensional bone deformity in the foot. That same year, the Lapiplasty® Procedure was cleared by the FDA. The approach addresses the cause of the condition by properly aligning and securing the bones in the foot with a patented system of titanium plates. The approach allows many patients to bear weight on their foot while wearing a surgical boot within days of surgery and return to physical activities within about four months. The method also comes with a very low risk of bunion recurrence—about 1-3% in 13- and 17- month clinical trials, respectively. A growing number of podiatric specialists and orthopedic surgeons across the country now offer the procedure in their practices.

As a physician, I have always been committed to providing effective methods that patients can use to get back to their lives. Bunions can be extremely disruptive to patients’ lives, and for a long time. I’m proud to have helped develop Lapiplasty® to address the concerns that many patients have when deciding between living with bunions or moving forward with correcting them. It has been my greatest joy to help my patients get back to the lifestyles they enjoy and I am looking forward to continuing to serve the community at my new practice.

For more information about the Lapiplasty® Procedure visit Lapiplasty.com. To schedule an appointment with me, call 724-799-8727 or visit GPFootAnkle.com.

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, pain, discomfort from the presence of the implant, loosening of the implant, and loss of correction with nonunion or malunion.