Thirty-seven-year-old Chandra Leyba has struggled with her right foot for
a long time. Her big toe hurt quite a bit, and over time it would lock
up and she would have to massage it and manually maneuver the joint to
get it unlocked. Over the years it just kept getting worse and worse.
A mom to a young son, Chandra struggled to keep up with his high energy
and her frustration with her foot pain continued to grow.
After visiting with her primary care physician, Chandra was referred to
orthopedic surgeon
Dr. Robert Grunfeld at
Powder River Orthopedics & Spine (PROS), who specializes in treating feet and ankle problems. Chandra ultimately
learned that she suffered from a hereditary condition that impacted the
way her toes grew: a bunion. A bony bump, bunions grow on the joint at
the base of the big toe and can be very painful.
“It’s probably one of the more common issues we see when people
have toe pain,” Dr. Grunfeld said.
Surgery to correct the problem can be extensive to remove the bone or even
breaking the bone to straighten the angle in the
big toe joint. For Chandra, Dr. Grunfeld said he felt like a less invasive procedure
to shave off the arthritis and bone growth would the best.
“That way she could basically walk out of the surgery that day,”
Dr. Grunfeld said. “She did really well.”
Being honest and upfront with patients is important to Dr. Grunfeld, who
says patients benefit from having all the information they need to make
an informed decision about their care. And establishing realistic expectations
for recovery is especially critical when it comes to addressing issues
with the feet.
“Be patient with this,” Dr. Grunfeld said. “You walk
on your feet every day so it takes time. It’s a big deal to have
surgery and I want people to have a good outcome.”
After having surgery in December and doing some short-term
physical therapy, Chandra’s life is in a whole new place.
“It’s better than ever,” Chandra said. “I can wear
tennis shoes again. I can keep up better with my son.”
For someone who has had a lot of surgeries, Chandra said she’s never
had a doctor quite like Dr. Grunfeld.
“He explained in detail what he was going to do and how he was going
to do it,” Chandra said. “He’s an amazing doctor.”
Seeing Chandra’s progress is all the reward Dr. Grunfeld says he needs.
“When people can get back to activities … that’s the
biggest win in the world,” Dr. Grunfeld said. “Helping them
get their life back – that’s why I do what I do.”
Expert Orthopedic & Spine Care in Gillette, Wyoming
Dr. Robert Grunfeld is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at
Powder River Orthopedics & Spine in Gillette, Wyoming. The physicians at PROS take an innovative and comprehensive
approach to the treatment of acute and chronic orthopedic pain. Have your
procedure in our modern
operating rooms at
Campbell County Memorial Hospital or
Powder River Surgery Center.
See the PROS for:
- General orthopedic surgery
- Joint replacement surgery: shoulder, hip, knee and ankle
- Shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist surgery
- Sports Medicine
- Spine surgery and injections, including minimally invasive procedures
- Bunions and great toe arthritis procedures
- Foot and ankle surgery
- Trauma and fracture care
- Workplace injuries
For a consultation, call 307.686.1413 or visit
www.cchwyo.org/PROS.
PROS is a Campbell County Medical Group
Clinic with
Campbell County Health.
Article written by Kim Phagan-Hansel, Wyoming freelance writer