After years of experience and 1000s of bunion surgeries I have taken some time to reflect back on different techniques and procedures.  I have seen new products and new surgeries come in and out of fashion.  Every few years a new health care company will introduce fancy new products that they want us surgeons to utilize.  I have seen many new instruments and new ideas that are supposed to revolutionize outcomes and provide time and cost savings.  It is interesting that things seem to always come back to the tried and true techniques that have been around for years. 

The two most prolific bunion correction surgeries are the Lapidus and Austin bunionectomy.  These two procedures have been around for years and have corrected 100’s of thousands of bunions.  They continue to be the work horses of bunion surgery as they have predictable outcomes and long term follow up.  I utilize both and have found the majority of bunions have great correction when one of these two techniques are used. 

There is currently a lot of buzz around the Lapiplasty procedure and for good reason.  It employs a surgical technique, the Lapidus, that has been around for almost 100 years.  This procedure was brought to the forefront by a Surgeon in Seattle named Sigvard Hansen.  Dr Hansen has since retired and is considered by many to have been a pioneer in the field.  Some of us were lucky enough to spend time with him and learn his techniques and continue to utilize the Lapidus bunionectomy.  The Lapiplasty is a tool kit that helps surgeons perform this procedure.  It has helped to make outcomes more reproducible and simplified the technique. 

The Lapiplasty is one of my most common procedures and I find it to have predictable and reproducible outcomes.  If you have a bunion and would like to see what kind of candidate you are please contact my office and I would be happy to help. Give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today. 

Sincerely,

Dr Brandon Nelson