Linda Lamb was missing something in her life. Sandals.

“I have not worn sandals for about eight to nine years,” said the 81-year-old Blandinsville, IL, resident.

That will change next summer, thanks to the knowledge and skill of Blessing Health board-certified foot and ankle surgeon, Mark Wavrunek, DPM.

Ouch!

For most of her adult life, Linda suffered from a bunion on each foot. A bunion is when you develop a bony prominence at the big toe joint. The visible bump results from changes in the bony framework of the front part of the foot. The big toe leans toward the second toe, rather than pointing straight ahead. This throws the bones out of alignment—producing the bunion’s bump. 

Bunions will commonly develop because of genetics, biomechanics, or ligament laxity. Some symptoms associated with bunions include:
•    Pain 
•    Shoes don’t fit correctly
•    A burning sensation or numbness over the bunion prominence

Linda said besides being “ugly”, her bunions caused difficulty walking, wearing shoes, and pain that she described, as “Like a firecracker. A sharp, quick pain.” Linda would have to stop walking until the pain subsided and resume her journey.

She never sought medical attention for her bunions, because she was afraid the pain of treatment would be worse than the pain she already endured. Then, with the help of her daughter, she met Dr. Wavrunek during his weekly clinic in Macomb, near Linda’s home.

How Dr. Wavrunek helped Linda

Certified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, and fellowship trained in foot and ankle reconstructive surgery, Dr. Wavrunek offers a procedure called Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy. 

Unlike other surgical procedures for bunions, which require a 2-6-inch incision, Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy requires three 1/8-to-1/2-inch incisions to correct the bunion deformity. 

Dr. Wavrunek told Linda how Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy surgery could help her.

“She thought, maybe with her age, she had waited too long to have it fixed. Linda was getting to the point where she couldn’t even put shoes on.  It was a severe bunion,” the doctor said.

“We talked about the Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy because the recovery time would be less compared to other options. She’d be able to be weight-bearing on the affected foot after two weeks. That was appealing to her.”

In addition to being able to walk sooner after surgery, because of smaller incisions Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy surgery results in less pain and swelling for patients.

Visions of sandals danced in Linda’s head as she listened to Dr. Wavrunek.

“I was impressed with him, He was very thorough. He told me what he could do, what would happen, and just explained the whole procedure,” Linda said.

Surgery on her left foot was so successful, that before the end of the year, Dr. Wavrunek will perform a Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy surgery on Linda’s right foot and she will be in sandals in the summer of 2024.

“I think he is an amazing surgeon,” Linda said. “I saw the X-rays. It was just an amazing job. I am feeling much better.”

Linda also lived with a hammer toe on her left foot, a condition where the second toe crosses over the big toe. Dr. Wavrunek corrected that condition, too.

Linda’s advice

“See a podiatrist sooner rather than later, preferably Dr. Wavrunek,” she said. “If I had treatment sooner, I would have had a better quality of life, escaped the pain, walked more freely, and worn my sandals sooner.”

In addition to a weekly clinic in Macomb at 437 East Grant, Dr. Wavrunek also sees patients at Illini Community Hospital in Pittsfield, IL, and at the Blessing Health Center 4800 Maine in Quincy.

For more information on the doctor and the care he provides, go to blessinghealth.org/podiatry.