Erie podiatrist helps bunion patients get back on their feet faster

Kara Hite's bunions not only caused her frequent pain, they sometimes prevented her from putting on shoes — and on one occasion, a dress — that she wanted to wear.

The 39-year-old Venango County woman has dealt with the bony bumps on the insides of her big toe joints since she was a teenager. She refuses to let them stop her active lifestyle, but they sometimes force her to make fashion choices she would rather avoid.

"I went on vacation down to Cancun not long ago and we all went to dinner," Hite said. "I was either going to wear a short dress or a long gown, and I wore the gown to hide my bunions."

Hite won't have to hide her bunions much longer. She traveled to Erie on Aug. 4 to have minimally invasive bunion surgery on her right foot, and plans to have the same surgery on her left foot later this year.

Her surgery was performed by Dr. Anthony Colonna, an Erie podiatrist who has been using a minimally invasive technique for a couple of years. It involves four small incisions near the base of the big toe instead of one large one.

"The biggest difference is that you are not opening up the toe's joint, so you preserve the motion of the toe," Colonna said. "There isn't as much of an impact on the soft tissue and recovery is quicker."

Earlier traditional surgery unsuccessful

Hite underwent traditional bunion surgery in 2012, which she said was not successful. Her recovery was painful and the bunion that was operated upon soon returned.

As a result, she was reluctant to get another surgery until the pain in her feet started affecting her daily life. Then she searched the internet and found Colonna, who works at the UPMC Hamot Foot & Ankle Center in Erie and Meadville.

"Bunions typically are genetic. They run in families," Colonna said. "All the patient generally knows is that someone in their family had surgery and it was painful, and the recovery was difficult. With this minimally invasive technique, not only are there smaller cuts, but I'm able to rotate the bone. I can lift it up and down, and dial it in better."

Colonna performed the same surgery on Willow Hurlburt's right foot in June. The 57-year-old woman had dealt with the bunion for her entire adult life.

The pain steadily increased over the years to the point where she had to stop taking her daily walks. Otherwise, the relentless pain in her foot would keep her awake most of the night.

"I've spent most of the past year in my chair," said Hurlburt, who lives in Union City. "I was ready to get the surgery."

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Recovery is quicker

Hurlburt is still recovering from surgery about three months ago, but said she notices a dramatic improvement. Her right toe is much straighter and she can fit into a pair of Mary Jane-style shoes for the first time she can remember.

A typical recovery from minimally invasive bunion surgery is six to eight weeks, compared to 10 to 12 weeks for traditional surgery, though some patients heal more quickly, Colonna said.

"I had one patient who was able to play tennis three weeks after surgery," Colonna said. "I was worried about the incisions, but they felt comfortable about it."

Hite hasn't healed enough to play tennis, or even take a long walk, but she has taken her riding mower out for a spin. She propped her foot on pillows as she rode her zero-turn mower, and rested once before mowing the back half of her lawn.

She also is thrilled to see that her foot is straight and will soon be able to fit into regular size 5 1/2 shoes. The first time Colonna unwrapped the bandages on Hite's foot, she nearly cried.

"There was a little bit of swelling but I was expecting something far worse," Hite said. "All the toes were straight, completely straight. I could have teared up."

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Still, Hite isn't quite ready to have surgery on her left foot, though it also has a bunion. She wants to finish her recovery, and start going for walks again.

"It's all the sitting you have to do as it heals," Hite said. "That's the only issue, keeping the foot propped up. But I'll schedule the surgery, just a little later this year."

Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNBruce.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie podiatrist uses minimally invasive bunion surgery