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bones — not saw bone impressions — which had to be special ordered from a bone museum. "I wanted to develop this based on real bone anatomy," he says. "We contoured the plate to perfectly match the actual anatomy." Known as the Contours Lapidus Plating System, Dr. Blitz's implant transformed the surgical process. Manufactured by Orthofix International, the system is available to foot and ankle surgeons in the United States. Bunionplasty: Nip/Tuck Meets Bunion Surgery High-fashion shoe designers have glamor- ized foot sex appeal, which has brought a whole new clientele to Dr. Blitz's office seek- ing Bunionplasty. Many women see bunion surgery as a necessity to continue to wear high-heeled shoes without tremendous pain, and they want the result to look good, too. "My office is filled with women who prefer to find themselves in Jimmy Choos rather than orthopedic shoes," Dr. Blitz says. Dr. Blitz's bunion implant has allowed him to improve the cosmetic aspect of bunion surgery by relocating the incision onto the side of the foot for procedures on bunions of all sizes, in contrast to traditional approaches through the top of the foot. To continue the success of the implant, Dr. Blitz created the Bunionplasty procedure. "Bunionplasty is my registered procedure, which is essentially plastic surgery for bunions," he says. "For all bunion sizes, the incision is on the inside of the foot, J E T-S E T TI N G FO R B U N I O N P L A S T Y THE AUTHOR OF multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals, Neal M. Blitz, DPM, FACFAS, is recognized as a leader in the field of foot and ankle surgery. He has gained international recognition for the Bunionplasty procedure, which is making his Park Avenue practice world-renowned for the advanced level of surgical care he and his team provide. Patients fly from all over the world to have the surgeon who created the implant and procedure perform their foot and ankle surgeries. Satisfied patients have come from across the United States and have globetrotted from Shanghai, Australia, Jordan, the United Kingdom and Canada. Research and referrals brought one patient from Calgary in Alberta, Canada, for bunion surgery on one foot and revision surgery on the other to repair a returned bunion with an elevated toe that made wearing shoes painful and difficult. "The first time I had bunion surgery was in Canada, and I couldn't bear weight for six to eight weeks afterwards," the patient says. "I was on crutches and in a wheel- chair, whereas with Dr. Blitz, I got the Lapidus plate put in that allowed me to walk and be mobile right away." Two patients separately vetted surgeons across the globe before coming to see Dr. Blitz. They traveled more than 6,000 miles, one from Shanghai and the other from Jordan, for Bunionplasty so they could return to their prized shoe collections, bunion-free and ready for heels. Age is not always a factor when it comes to the surgical removal of bunions. Dr. Blitz performed a bunion surgery that was a true game-changer on a 10-year-old girl from Georgia. "She was unable to play sports before the surgery, and no foot surgeon in her area was willing to remove her bunion," Dr. Blitz says. "Now, her parents send us pictures of her playing basketball." One of his physician patients surprised even Dr. Blitz. "I performed bunion surgery on both feet of an OB-GYN, and she was delivering babies in the hospital five days later", he says. "Even her expectant patients didn't believe it." COV ER FE AT UR E Dr. Blitz's team has been operating together for five years, allowing for better outcomes. Once a patient decides to move forward with Bunionplasty, Cheer Alvarez, practice manager, schedules a one-on-one to review the surgical booking process. 8 | Long Island MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M