Rapid Recovery: Andrea Tovar

When Miami mom and lifelong mover Andrea Tovar finally decided to fix the bunions that had turned dancing and daily life into constant pain, she did what she always does: research carefully and choose the best. After meeting with multiple doctors, she landed on orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Ettore Vulcano at Mount Sinai Medical Center. His minimally invasive approach and anesthesia strategy promised faster recovery and the possibility of eliminating the need for opioids after surgery.

Andrea had her left foot corrected first on March 4, 2025, as an outpatient procedure. The difference was immediate. “I’m very active—walking, running, dancing, hiking—and my pain had been constant,” she said. “This time, I went home, managed with Tylenol and gabapentin for nerve zings, and that was it. I never needed Percocet.”

Six months later, she tested the result the Andrea way: on long trails through Oregon and Washington, clocking 5–7 miles a day. Her left foot held up beautifully. With confidence high, she scheduled the right foot for August 26, 2025.

Recovery the second time was even faster. After her first surgery she wore a protective boot for about three months. This time, her two-week follow-up brought surprise news: based on healing, she could likely remove the boot at one month. She will still wait three months before resuming high-impact exercise, but the earlier transition meant she could drive again much sooner.

Andrea’s experience isn’t just personal. She owned a retail pharmacy for 25 years and watched the opioid crisis unfold “from the front row.”

“So many people get exposed to opioids after surgery,” she said. “If more procedures used techniques like this, it would be a game-changer.”

Dr. Vulcano emphasizes how Mount Sinai’s approach is setting a new standard:

“We are one of the handful of hospitals nationwide to use a novel postoperative pain management protocol that can provide up to five days of dramatic pain relief,” he said. “For patients, this means a safer and more comfortable recovery with fewer risks of opioid exposure.”

Today, Andrea is back to her life—lifting weights two weeks post-op, dancing (hips only for now), and planning her next hiking trip. She has also become the family’s unofficial ambassador for minimally invasive bunion surgery. “My mom only did one foot years ago and was scared to do the other. I brought her to meet Dr. Vulcano. I tell everyone: I recommend the doctor, the technique, the whole team. It’s life-changing.”

To learn more about our Orthopedics department at Mount Sinai, click here.