Woodlands Podiatrist Praises New Bunion Procedure

THE WOODLANDS, TX — Bunions can be extremely painful for those who suffer with them, but a new and innovative procedure is helping bunion sufferers get back on their feet. Dr. Thomas Pignetti at Advanced Foot Care in The Woodlands, said bunions are an extremely common problem.

Although shoes for many can cause bunions, often it's a hereditary condition that can be prevalent in both men and women, and it gets worse the long it is ignored.

Bunions caused by a misalignment of the bones in the feet, and is not just a bump that can be shaved down, Pignetti said.

For years, podiatrists have cured severe bunion cases with an invasive surgery called osteotomy, which in some cases didn't always work.

Pignetti, who has practiced Podiatry for 25 years, recently began using a new and innovative procedure called Lapiplasty. Pignetti said he has used on ate least 22 patients with successful results.

"I'd say that bunions make up about 20 percent of the complaints that come into my office," he said. "There isn't a day that goes buy where I don't have at least a couple of patients come into my office."

One of those people was April Davis, 47, an avid runner. Davis, who said she'd suffered with bunions even in her teenage years, said she began to feel pain in about 2013, and that got steadily worse over time.

"About five or six years ago I started running, and that is when it really started to hurt," Davis said.

But it got a lot worse, even when she wasn't running. Davis said that at times, the pain would keep her awake at night.

"That was the wort part," she said. "I would just wake up, in such searing pain. There was no position that would make it stop."

She tried over the counter pain medications, and soaking before bed, but nothing helped. One day she was at lunch with a couple of her friends, and they all recommended Dr. Pignetti.

When he saw the bunions on Davis' feet on her first visit last summer, he knew she would be an idea candidate for the new procedure.

The procedure involves the use of precision guides that allow surgeons to twist the bone back into a normal position. Special titanium plates are then used to lock the joint in place and keep the bones in line permanently.

Davis, who had surgery on both feet, had the first surgery on her right foot — the worst foot — in September, and then the left foot in December.

Davis said having the surgery was painful afterward, but as the surgical pain faded, she realized the pain from the bunions was gone.

"I can't tell you how much better my feet feel," she said. "Where the bunions were, there is no pain."

However, Davis is still recovering from the surgery.

Davis said Dr. Pignetti has not let her resume her running activities, but she expects to be lacing up her running shoes this spring.

To learn more about Lapiplasty,click here.

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