This is NOT your grandma’s surgery
By Daniel Popowitz, DPM, FACFAS
Disclosures: Dr Popowitz is a consultant for Crossroads Extremity Solutions
Over the last year, many patients have come into the office asking to have their bunion deformity evaluated. They have read many advertisements about new techniques and smaller incisions. Their pain is getting worse, but they are “very afraid” to undergo the procedure to correct it.
All the patients ask the same questions; How will the scar look? How long do I need to be off my feet? Can I drive? How painful is the surgery? When can I wear normal shoes? Most patients do not have time to recover from traditional bunion surgery with their very busy and active lifestyles.
The answers to these questions often varied depending on many factors, such as the patient’s age, gender, degree of deformity, and overall health. However, newer techniques require much less invasive surgery, which yields a faster recovery and reproducible results.
In my practice, I perform the MINIBUNION, by Crossroads Extremity Solutions.
This is a minimal incision and minimally-invasive technique that requires one small incision, around the length of your fingernail, on the inside of the foot. The bone is cut, shifted, and rotated into the proper position, completely removing the bunion and returning the foot back to its proper width.
I have now performed this innovative technique on patients from 22-72 years of age. Most of the patients have minimal to no postoperative pain, have a small scar if any, and are back in sneakers in two weeks. The recovery from this procedure is very active. Although a special boot or shoe is required for approximately two weeks, the pain is at a minimum, and therefore patients are doing errands and other activities of daily living on their own after just a few days.
This procedure does not require weeks of bandages, crutches for 4 to 6 weeks, or strong pain medications. In fact, most patients did not take any of the pain meds I had originally prescribed for them.
Some of my patients were so happy with their results, they have told me they are more than happy to speak to prospective patients to tell them about their surgical experience and success.
Each bunion deformity is different, and must be evaluated before one can be certain that this technique is for them. To learn more about this unique procedure, please visit
www.minibunion.com for more information.
If you would like to get your ugly and painful bunion evaluated, please call 201-510-3777 to set up a consultation. It’s time to wear those favorite shoes that just “don’t fit.”
