Author: Angie Sykeny

A doctor discusses new surgical help for feet

Dr. Drew Taft, a foot and ankle specialist in Derry, has adopted a new, innovative surgical procedure to correct bunions, a painful bone deformity of the foot. Taft discussed how the procedure, called Lapiplasty, works and the advantages it has over older procedures.

What is Lapiplasty?

Lapiplasty is a procedure that is used to address and fix bunion deformity, both large and small. Generally, a bunion is something that happens as a result of faulty mechanics — people inherit a particular foot type that creates hypermobility or hyper flexibility in the midfoot. That’s what allows bones to become out of place and misaligned, and that’s what allows the bunion to form. What this procedure does is it targets that point of deformity and corrects it by fusing the joint where the deformity comes from. When you fuse the joints, you’re now removing all the instability and the hypermobility. … It’s performed as an outpatient procedure — it does not require admission to a hospital — and generally takes about 60 to 90 minutes. You go home the same day. It’s a really nice in-and-out kind of thing.

How does Lapiplasty differ from other procedures?

There are a few types of procedures. There are head procedures, where you’re correcting the bunion from almost right at the level of the bunion itself; there are midshaft procedures, where you’re correcting a bunion through the middle of the metatarsal; and then you have your base procedures, where you’re correcting the deformity more from the base of the bone where the hypermobility is, and that’s what Lapiplasty is. The problem with head procedures and midshaft procedures is that you may be able to reduce the deformity, but you’re not necessarily addressing the underlying issue and the underlying source of the deformity, and that’s why there’s a higher rate of recurrence with those methods. … The biggest attraction for Lapiplasty is that it’s really focusing on the apex of the deformity, where the deformity of the bunion comes from. That creates a nice stable correction, and it significantly lowers the risk of the deformity coming back, especially compared to the more traditional bunion corrective procedures.

Why did you decide to start offering Lapiplasty?

Even before I started doing Lapiplasty, I was doing base procedures a lot because I believed in what these procedures were doing. I was able to correct significant deformities and get good long-term outcomes. Lapiplasty is basically just an innovative way of performing the procedure. We’re using tools and guides that really make the whole corrective process more streamlined and more predictable. It just fell into what my current philosophy and treatment protocol was for fixing bunions, and it just made it easier.

What drew you to focus on this particular ailment?

A bunion is a painful deformity and a very common one to form, we’re finding. We see and deal with a lot of these. A procedure that is predictable and works well allows patients to get back to their lifestyle and return to the quality of life that they want, so that’s what led me down the path with these procedures.

What are some reasons people don’t seek treatment?

One of the biggest reasons is the recovery. Because it’s a foot procedure, it requires some downtime. Having to carve out time from our busy schedules and busy lives to recover is a challenge, especially if you’re dealing with your right foot, which is your driving side — that’s a game-changer for some people because they just can’t or don’t have the ability to rely on others for the length of time that’s required. I think people also fear the pain that comes with a bunion procedure, although that’s kind of a misnomer. You hear horror stories about painful bunion corrective procedures, but as long as patients do what they’re told and take medications as instructed, it’s a very manageable post-operative recovery.

How long have you been performing this procedure? Do you know how your patients are doing now?

I performed my first one a little over a year ago. Everyone I’ve seen post-op seems to be doing very well. I’ve had patients who had one [foot] done and signed up to get the other one done.

Featured photo: Dr. Drew Taft. Courtesy photo.

Going to college and getting involved

Plymouth State University student Joshua Chandler of Laconia has been named Stay Work Play NH’s 2022 College Student of the Year. Chandler will receive the award at the 13th annual Rising Stars Awards, to be held at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Friday, Sept. 9, from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Where are you in your college career, and what are you studying?

I’m a non-traditional student. I’m going into my last year, which will be my fifth year, at Plymouth State University, as a dual degree major — a B.S. in cell and molecular biology and a B.A. in psychology. I started out studying exercise science when I first got to Plymouth State. I realized early on that I wanted to be a physical therapist, but then I decided that might not be for me. I liked the more hard-core basic science things. My aspirations switched. They stayed medical, but I started leaning more toward [being an] M.D. or physician’s assistant or something like that. I switched to molecular biology and decided on the physician’s assistant route. Then Covid hit, and I left for basic training with the Air National Guard. My studies got delayed a little bit. Then I got deployed to Kuwait, and I wasn’t able to take any of those biology classes while I was gone, but I took a couple psychology classes and I realized that I could add a psychology degree.

What was your experience in Kuwait like?

I loved it out there. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot. The most impactful part for me was being able to help out and provide medical help for the Afghanistan evacuations. We had about 5,000 Afghani evacuees come to our base. I also received the Army Achievement Medal for my help with that.

How did you balance serving in the National Guard and deployment with your college academics and activities?

While I was in Kuwait I was a full-time student. I was taking 15 credits’ worth of courses, as well as doing my National Guard Air Force upgrade training, getting all the different certifications. I’m a firefighter in the National Guard, so I was working 24-hour shifts. I’d go in the morning, pick up the truck, be on response if there was a fire or emergency, and then leave the next morning. Then I’d have the day off to use the gym, go shopping, get a haircut, relax, talk with my family. Coordinating deadlines for school was interesting because there’s an eight-hour [time] difference. I was also a speaker for the Plymouth State student government, and we would have our Zoom meetings, which would be at 7 o’clock Eastern time, but for me it’d be 3 in the morning, so on those nights I would either have to stay up for those meetings or go to bed and set an alarm to wake up and attend those meetings.

What are your plans for after graduating?

My plan is to switch to the Army National Guard and attend P.A. [physician’s assistant] school through them. Then, once I’m done with that, my goal is to come back to New Hampshire and work as a P.A. … After graduating, I would love to stay connected with Plymouth State University and the alumni department to help mentor and guide students, whether they’re thinking of [going into] medical, military — whatever they’re planning. I think being exposed to various backgrounds and doing a lot of research for my own plans means that I can be a good resource for students. Additionally, I do research at Plymouth State through the IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, and they have a mentorship program for alumni as well.

How do you practice self-care and keep from getting burnt out?

Sometimes I wonder how I don’t get burnt out. A lot of it is having a support system — my parents, family, friends, my girlfriend, co-workers, staff members and faculty at Plymouth State. Physical fitness, I think, is also important — setting aside a certain amount of time each day to either go on a walk or exercise or do yoga, just to make sure I’m staying healthy, and eating healthy. ‘Balance’ is the word that comes to mind.

What advice do you have for other young people looking to get more involved in their communities?

Look for opportunities. All of what I’ve done started from one simple thing: starting at student government as just a general member at first and then expanding on that, or going to talk with a professor about research and then getting involved with research at Dartmouth and now research for the military. It all starts with that first conversation, and then getting to a point where you’re looking for where you can get your foot in the door. The opportunities will follow. … Also, you don’t need to have a master plan. That’s something I struggle with. I try to imagine everything going perfectly, and usually, it’s never the perfect situation that I imagined [that happens], but it always works out in the right ways, so just go with the flow.

Featured photo: Joshua Chandler. Courtesy photo.

Nashua musician wins songwriting competition

Bill Fee of Nashua, also known by his artist name Fee the Evolutionist, won first prize in the R&B/Hip Hop category at this year’s New England Songwriting Competition with his song “Ain’t No Love.” Visit newenglandsongwritingcompetition.com/winners to listen to it and the other winning songs.

What is the New England Songwriting Competition, and what made you decide to enter it this year?

It’s been around for more than 15 years. They have different judges every year, and they’re always accomplished musicians. Some of them are involved with really big names [in music] and have worked out at Nashville studios and have Grammy awards and accomplishments. It’s a different array of musicians from all different genres, which is great. This year, I think they had over 500 submissions. I submitted my song “Ain’t No Love” for the Best R&B/Hip Hop Song category. I wasn’t even [planning] to actually enter because I thought it was a shot in the dark, but at the last minute I said, ‘Let me just enter and see.’ I remember when I got the email; it came through a few weeks later and I thought, ‘Oh, man, well, I wonder what this is,’ and I had ended up winning in that category. I was super happy about that. It comes with a cash prize, which I used to put toward studio time, and I had already had studio time booked, so it was great that I was able to put that [prize] back into my music.

What is your background in music?

I’ve been involved in music forever. My whole family is involved in music; my brothers and sisters and grandparents all play instruments, so I’ve always been writing songs for as long as I could speak. I was scatting to the jazz music that my parents would play. My grandfather was in a big band where he played trumpet, and my brother Mark played piano and my brother Mike played drums. I love all different types of music. I was really passionate about poetry and hip-hop just [because of] the way that you could express yourself. I started getting involved in that and put a few records out in my teens and met up with a guy who produced Jay-Z. I was just getting involved right when he was able to get going, and I was able to see that whole thing take off. It was great being a part of that. That let me know that, hey, you can make a living doing this. If you work hard, you can be successful. I think that was the turning point for me and when I really got serious about it. Since then, I’ve just been writing songs. I have some songs licensed out to HBO, Amazon Prime, the NBA. It’s been fun.

What is your winning song about, and why did you choose to submit that one?

Because of everything happening in the world today and the polarization that you’re seeing with people financially, politically, spiritually, I really wanted to say something. I wanted to put it out there how I was feeling. It’s a song about social justice and inflation affecting the most vulnerable people in the community. … I wasn’t sure at first if I should enter that song, because it is kind of edgy and a little political, but it was an outlet to what I was seeing, and I want to be vocal and find ways to support my community.

What would you like people to take away from your song?

Even though it’s an edgy song, it’s got that meaning of hope in there, as well. I just want people to be conscious of how they’re treating each other and have some empathy and some compassion.

What’s next for you?

I have a bunch of shows coming up, and I have some projects that I’m recording. … I’m working with a live band. I’m working with a label out of Nashua called Hellhound Publishing, and we’re going to be releasing some projects.

What advice do you have for other songwriters?

Someone once gave me good advice. I didn’t take it until I got older because it’s hard to do, but it’s just a little piece of advice that’s easy to digest: write every day. Write a verse, even if it’s a small, little verse. Write every day, and you’ll get better, and if you love it and you’re passionate about it, you’ll get better.

Featured photo: Fee the Evolutionist. Courtesy photo.