Bunions, A Local Study Changes The Standard Of Care

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Bunions, A Local Study Changes The Standard Of Care

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150444.php

A recent local study shows a new approach to treating bunions could save up to

400 million dollars a year.

The study by the Weil Foot and Ankle Institute shows operating on both bunions

simultaneously instead of separately decreases the cost of the common operation

by 25%.[1]

" We pioneered minimally invasive, ambulatory bunion surgery, " says Dr. Lowell

Weil Sr., a podiatric physician and the Institute's founder. " Now we've

shown patients can benefit from having that surgery done simultaneously on both

feet. The combined operation is less expensive and cuts patients' time off work

by three to six weeks. "

Bunions, painful deformities on the sides of the big toes, affect 4.4 million

Americans. Every year about 250,000 patients with swelling and pain seek

surgery. Ninety percent are women who want to wear a " reasonable looking shoe "

without pain.

Amber Lankford had the bilateral bunion procedure performed by Dr. Lowell Weil,

Jr. last November. The 30-year-old Physical Therapist from Charlotte, North

Carolina delayed treating her bunions for years. " I saw tons of bunion patients

with just horrible pain after their surgeries, " she says. " They'd be out of work

for up to three months. And that was from operating on just one bunion. "

But then Amber found out about the Weil Foot & Ankle Institute's new operation

on the Internet. She says, " That's what I wanted. Less time off work, less

expense, and get both feet done in one fell swoop. "

Podiatrists have traditionally operated on each bunion separately because of

fears that a combined operation is too debilitating and increases the risk of

complications. The problem is, depending on the technique used, each operation

could require patients to stay off their foot for up to two months.

" Many patients told us that was just unacceptable, " says Dr. Weil. " They had to

delay surgery and suffer. Otherwise they'd lose their jobs. "

But after Amber's bilateral operation, she was back to work in just ten days.

" After what I'd seen, I couldn't believe it! " she says. " And I never took a

single pain pill! "

The recent study shows that experience isn't unusual. Researchers performed

bilateral procedures on 66 volunteers and compared them to 120 patients given

traditional separate operations. The bilateral surgery group actually returned

to work slightly faster than those receiving traditional treatment. Both had

about the same levels of pain and complications.

Most important, the patients given a single bilateral operation missed 23 days

less work. In addition, their combined operation cost $1,625 less than the cost

of two separate operations. ($6,200 for two separate operations compared with

$4,525 for the combined procedure.)

" Perhaps most telling, " says Dr. Weil, " is that 97% of the patients who had

bilateral surgery told us that given the choice they'd do it again. "

" We estimate treating both bunions at once could save almost half a billion

dollars a year in health costs. And that doesn't include the increased

productivity of workers on the job for three additional weeks. Finally, patients

won't have to choose between ending their pain and keeping their jobs. "

Amber Lankford says, " I wouldn't trade this for the world. Coming to Chicago for

this operation is the best decision I ever made. "

" For most bunion patients nationwide, " says Dr. Weil, " this should now become

the routine standard of care. "