Getting Back to my Active Lifestyle After Lapiplasty®

At 49 years old, I’ve always enjoyed staying active. I’m passionate about practicing yoga and I have been playing tennis for about two years. As a young woman, foot pain caused by bunions threatened my ability to do the activities I enjoyed. I decided to undergo 2D osteotomies, often known as “Shave It Off” surgeries on both of my feet about 20 years ago with the hope that my pain would resolve. Unfortunately, the bunion on my right foot returned and I knew I needed to find a different solution.

As a yoga teacher, I basically didn’t wear shoes for six years. But when I started to play tennis, my foot began bothering me again and I found the pain very distracting. Even though I was in pain, I was not interested in undergoing the traditional bunion surgery again as I did not have a pleasant experience the first time around.

My research eventually brought me to the office of Dr. Abdi Raissi, an orthopedic surgeon with Desert Orthopaedics Group in Las Vegas. I wanted him to see if I was a candidate for a new procedure called Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™ that I came across on the internet. He took x-rays and explained the procedure to me in more detail. We agreed that the procedure was a good option for me.

I watched a video of the procedure and it just made sense to me. It didn’t seem overly invasive and I liked the idea of fixing the cause of the bunion, rather than just shaving off the bump. I was also very excited about the possibility of being back on my feet while wearing a surgical boot within days after surgery.

I underwent the Lapiplasty® Procedure on my right foot on May 25, 2021. After staying off my feet for about five days, I was able to bear weight on my foot in a surgical boot. I was impressed at my lack of post-surgical pain I experienced and quickly looked forward to getting back to my usual lifestyle. I only had to take pain killers on the first day after surgery at the doctor’s orders. The surgical boot was very helpful in keeping my foot in a comfortable position that also allowed me to be quite mobile.

I took my recovery process seriously, making sure I iced and elevated my foot to manage swelling. Dr. Raissi told me that I would be cleared for physical activities about 16 weeks after surgery, however, I recovered quickly and felt ready to go back on the tennis court in about eight weeks.

I was so excited that the procedure worked. Before surgery, it was so frustrating to try to find shoes that were comfortable and if I exercised, my bunion would become red, swollen and sore. I was ready to be done with those inconveniences.

I am now back to doing the things that I love. I have told several friends from my tennis leagues about the procedure and encouraged them to visit Dr. Raissi to see if they might also be candidates. I love the results I got. I’m so glad I did it.

For more information about the Lapiplasty® Procedure visit Lapiplasty.com. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Raissi, call 702-731-4088 or visit DOCLV.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.