Arthrex Bunionectomy Patient Stories - Marilyn

Note: This real patient was compensated for the time they took to share their personal experience with the Arthrex Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy procedure.

Marilyn’s busy life as a mother and retail office manager kept her on her feet for long hours every day. Although she dealt with bunion pain daily, she did not want to give up her on-the-go lifestyle, so she continued to participate in activities with her daughter and go dancing on the weekends despite the discomfort.

Her bunion first developed when she was a young girl and left her so embarrassed of her feet that she refused to wear shoes that did not hide her toes. The high heels she had grown to love as an adult pressed painfully on her bunion, causing her foot to swell so that all her shoes felt tight and uncomfortable.

Although Marilyn had heard a little about bunion surgery, she assumed her bunions would be with her for life and avoided learning more about her options because she’d heard it was “one of the worst surgeries” with a long and painful recovery. Her fear of being hospitalized and immobile or bedridden for a long time after bunion surgery and her need to get back to work quickly were obstacles she could not overcome.

All that changed on the day Marilyn’s friend sent her a text message with images of another friend’s foot taken before and after the Arthrex Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy. Her friend followed up with a call explaining the successful outcome this person had.

And that’s when Marilyn began to reconsider surgery as a solution to her painful bunions. She discovered that the procedure is performed through tiny incisions that leave minimal scars.¹ And more importantly, the recovery time after an Arthrex Bunionectomy is much shorter compared to other bunion removal surgeries.¹,²

Marilyn underwent the minimally invasive surgery (or MIS) to remove her bunion on a Friday. The following day, she resumed her normal activities around the house and was able to be out and about all day.

She returned to work on Monday. Her recovery from the Arthrex Bunionectomy was nothing like the long recovery timeline she’d feared when she only knew about traditional bunion procedures.

“To me, the surgery was really easy,” says Marilyn. Directly after her surgery, her doctor shared a before-and-after photo of her foot. Just like the ones she’d seen when considering the Arthrex Bunionectomy, her own photos showed how her bunion had been entirely corrected. And now, she was the one excitedly sharing pictures with her friends.

Before undergoing the procedure, Marilyn chose to enjoy family time and her favorite activities despite her painful bunions. “Imagine what it means now that I can do these things without pain,” she says.

Marilyn distinctly recalls the first time she put on a pair of high heels after the surgery and didn’t experience pain, and says the feeling was “indescribable.” Today, you can find her back on the dance floor in those heels. “I feel like another person. Now the world is mine!” ‍

This is not medical advice and Arthrex recommends that surgeons be trained in the use of a particular product before using it in surgery. A surgeon must always rely on their own professional judgment when deciding whether to use a particular product when treating a particular patient. A surgeon must always refer to the package insert, product label, and/or directions for use before using any Arthrex product. Postoperative management is patient-specific and dependent on the treating professional's assessment. Individual results will vary and not all patients will experience the same postoperative activity level or outcomes. Products may not be available in all markets because product availability is subject to the regulatory or medical practices in individual markets. Please contact Arthrex if you have questions about availability of products in your area. Patient images, videos, and/or testimonials are used with written authorization from the patient.

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References

Lai MC, Rikhraj IS, Woo YL, Yeo W, Ng YCS, Koo K. Clinical and radiological outcomes comparing percutaneous chevron-Akin osteotomies vs open scarf-Akin osteotomies for hallux valgus. Foot Ankle Int. 2018;39(3):311-317. doi:10.1177/1071100717745282