ROCKPORT — MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital welcomes Ashley Mychak, DPM, FACFAS, to its Podiatry team. Dr. Mychak specializes in the Lapiplast 3D Bunion Correction Procedure, a procedure that MHPBH will now be able to offer for the first time.

The Lapiplasty Procedure is an elective surgery that corrects a bunion — a deformity caused by an unstable joint in the middle of the foot that causes a bone to drift out of alignment. Doctors then use advanced surgical technology to return the entire bone to its normal alignment. The unstable joint is then secured with patented, titanium plates.

“While each patient's experience is unique, this technique typically allows a patient to utilize early, protected weightbearing in a walking boot at one-week post-op, with a transition back to a good, supportive sneaker at eight weeks,” said Dr. Mychak. in a MaineHealth news release. “This means patients are able to return to their daily activities sooner, unlike other systems and techniques that typically require four- to six-weeks of strict non-weightbearing.”

Dr. Mychak was the first foot and ankle surgeon in the country to perform the Lapiplasty and Adductoplasty procedures using the Patient Specific Instrumentation (PSI) System, which creates a personalized surgical plan based on a patient’s CT scan, helping to streamline the surgical process. She is the first surgeon to offer these procedures at MHPBH.

“With the addition of utilizing Patient Specific Instrumentation, the correction of the bunion and/or midfoot deformity is precise to the patient,” said Dr. Mychak. “It also allows for a significant reduction in operating time, less anesthesia and often less post operative swelling and pain.”

In addition to these procedures, Dr. Mychak also specializes in adult forefoot/rearfoot pathologies, surgery, sports-related injuries and trauma cases, limb salvage and orthoplastics procedures.

“We are excited to have Dr. Mychak join our team,” said Julie White, MD, chair of surgery and senior medical director of surgical services at MHPBH. “Her skill and expertise will be a tremendous benefit to our patients.”

Dr. Mychak earned her Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine from Des Moines University in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2013. She completed her reconstructive rearfoot and ankle surgical fellowship at Ankle and Foot Care Centers/Northside Regional Medical Center in Youngstown, Ohio, in 2018, and completed her residency at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia in 2017. Dr. Mychak also holds a Master of Education in Mental and Physical Disabilities and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences, both from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Mychak is dual board certified by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine Board as well as the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery: Foot Surgery and Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery.

For more information, call MaineHealth Podiatry Rockport at 301-5700.

As with any surgical procedure, there are potential risks associated with the Lapiplasty® procedure, such as infection, pain, and loss of correction due to improper bone healing. For more information about risks, visit: Patient Risk Information | Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™. LAPIPLASTY® and Adductoplasty® are registered trademarks of Treace Medical Concepts, Inc.

MaineHealth is a not-for-profit, integrated health system whose vision is, “Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America,” and is committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow's caregivers and researching better ways to provide care. MaineHealth includes a Level 1 trauma medical center, eight additional licensed hospitals, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services. With more than 2,000 employed providers and approximately 23,000 care team members, MaineHealth provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. MaineHealth hospitals include MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor in Westbrook, MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, Biddeford and Sanford, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, MaineHealth Stephens Hospital in Norway and MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast. MaineHealth also includes the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland, MaineHealth Behavioral Health in Westbrook, MaineHealth Home Health and Hospice in Saco, the MaineHealth Institute for Research in Scarborough, the MaineHealth Medical Group and MaineHealth NorDx in Scarborough. MaineHealth affiliates include Maine General Health in Augusta and Waterville and St. Mary's Health System in Lewiston. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland and a joint venture partner in the New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland.