Advance Foot & Ankle Associates

       Dr. Nick Gunasayan is a podiatric surgeon with over two decades of experience.  He is board-certified in foot surgery and rear foot and ankle reconstruction surgery. He is also trained in extracorporeal ShockWave therapy in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis.  Dr. Gunasayan holds staff privileges at French Hospital, Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center, and Twin Cities Community Hospital.

       Dr. Nick Gunasayan grew up in Dallas, Texas. He earned his B.S. in biology at Austin College where he played on the lacrosse team.  Dr. Gunasayan graduated from the California College of Podiatric Medicine in San Francisco in 1999. He completed a 3-year podiatric surgical residency at South Miami Hospital. 

        Dr. Gunasayan relocated to San Luis Obispo in 2002.  Dr. Gunasayan is trained in all aspects of podiatric surgery including foot and ankle fracture repair, diabetic limb salvage, ankle arthroscopy, forefoot surgery, diabetic wound care, sports medicine, and all aspects of podiatric medical management. His focus is on getting his patients healed quickly using a conservative treatment-first approach to get patients back to active living.

       Dr. Gunasayan presents in speaking engagements for multiple medical companies to educate doctors on practical applications and instrumentation of BioTissue products and techniques in surgery.

       Dr. Nick (as his patients call him) enjoys playing golf, snowboarding, mountain biking, and spending time with his family. He is a dedicated father and husband. He can be found at the golf course or golf tournaments with his girls. He and his wife are proud of their two daughters Bella and Gigi and their competitive golf journeys. Their oldest daughter, Bella, plays college golf on scholarship and Gigi plays for her high school.

       Dr. Gunasayan has served the communities on the Central Coast since 2002 and proudly features his father’s original watercolor paintings in his offices. From his family to yours, we offer his various services to help you achieve a healthy and active life free from pain so you can enjoy your family.

    Dr. Abernathy is a native of San Luis Obispo County, growing up on an 80-acre ranch in Paso Robles. He graduated from Templeton High School in 2012 and moved to Southern California to attend the University of Redlands. He obtained his B.A. with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry in 2015 and was involved with numerous leadership opportunities, athletics, and extracurricular clubs.

     In 2019 he graduated from Western University of Health Sciences College of Podiatric Medicine, where he excelled in all facets of medicine including foot and ankle surgery. Dr. Abernathy was then matched at the prestigious and rigorous Inova Fairfax Medical Campus Foot and Ankle Surgery Residency Program in Northern Virginia. He received extensive training in not only advanced foot and ankle reconstruction surgery, but experience in plastic surgery, orthopedic trauma, vascular surgery, infectious disease, and internal medicine. Dr. Abernathy further expanded his clinical and surgical expertise by attending the CORE Institute Advanced Foot and Ankle Surgery Fellowship Program in Phoenix, Az. An ACFAS-certified fellowship at the fourth-largest orthopedic practice in the US. He gained advanced knowledge and experience in foot and ankle surgery training with an emphasis on total ankle arthroplasty, ankle arthroscopy and sports medicine, flatfoot and high arch feet deformities, revisional surgery, trauma, and advanced forefoot reconstruction.

     Dr. Abernathy has completed over 1200 surgical cases, 4,000 procedures including over 50 total ankle arthroplasties. His training has provided him the most up-to-date and current techniques in the field. Dr. Abernathy is dedicated to providing the best patient care possible, with the patients well being of the utmost importance. In his downtime, Dr. Abernathy likes to spend time with his family and friends out on his family’s Adelaida ranch, travel internationally, hike, snowboard, and do any outdoor activities.

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