I have seen many types of bunion surgery after operating and practicing now for 15 years.  Surgical techniques change and fixation changes and surgery in general tends to improve.  What I mean by improvement is outcomes get better with new research and recovery can shorten with new ideas or medical devices.  The days of not walking on your surgical foot are behind us.  The majority of patients I see and operate on are walking when the can tolerate the swelling and discomfort.  This is different from the bunion surgeries of the past.

Historically a lot of the bunions we fixed required a long period of non-weight bearing or even an overnight stay in the hospital.  This has really changed with newer techniques and the average surgery for a bunion now is about 2 hours.  The other dramatic difference is the majority of patients can walk on their feet after surgery.  The longest I typically instruct patients to be off their feet now is about 2 weeks.  The big factor in this change is the Lapiplasty procedure and its newer fixation methods. 

The Lapiplasty is based on the Lapidus bunionectomy.  This is a procedure we have utilized for years with great success.   However, newer instruments and fixation have advanced healing and outcomes.  I truly love utilizing the lapiplasty to fix bunions and have seen incredible results.  If you are suffering from bunion pain I can help!  Give me a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Brandon Nelson

American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons