FOOT SURGERY

Numerous foot and ankle problems do not get better with “conservative” management. Your podiatrist will recommend surgical intervention when there is not much improvement after non-surgical treatment methods. Foot surgery is necessary when pain or deformity persists to alleviate discomfort or to restore the function of your foot or ankle.

Sometimes surgery is the only way to achieve long-lasting relief from persistent, disabling symptoms. The goal of foot surgery is not just to relieve chronic pain, but also to restore normal foot and ankle function.

Foot surgeons, podiatric physicians, or foot and ankle specialists perform foot and ankle surgeries for various reasons. Foot surgery aims to relieve the pain, inflammation, and discomfort occurring due to an injury, arthritis, congenital abnormalities, or infection. Foot surgery also helps to restore function and mobility.

DIFFERENT FOOT SURGERIES

The foot and ankle are the most complex areas of the body bearing the weight of the entire body. This leads to injury or damage of these areas that might require surgery.

• • Achilles tendon Repair: This tendon connects the calf muscles to the calcaneus or heel bone. It is an important tendon in the human body as its main function is foot plantar flexion. Numerous techniques exist for this surgery such as transverse, medial, and longitudinal incisions. The severed ends of the tendon are sutured together while the ankle is placed in a neutral position. The surgeon will take the ankle through a complete range of motion to check for the integrity of the repair. A cast is often applied to support the tendon along with the surgical technique. A newly developed minimally-invasive technique involves the utilization of the peroneus brevis through two para-midline incisions. This helps in preserving the skin integrity over the site, which is prone to breakdown in a vertical incision.
  • Fusion Surgery: This is recommended when a joint has extensive damage and causes chronic pain. The bone scrapes on bone during movement causing pain. The bone-on-bone scraping is caused due to the protective tissues and other elements that degrade and no longer work properly.
    • The aim of the surgery is the permanent fusion of separate bones in the foot to treat flat feet, arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, and fractures. The surgery is necessary as these do not heal on their own and are caused by wear-and-tear of cartilage and bones over time.
    • The foot surgery involves the removal of the remaining cartilage and permanently join or fuse the adjacent bone tissues. The natural fusion process involves using plates and screws, which will prevent the movement from causing pain and other symptoms.
  • Foot Fracture Surgery: Simple foot fractures usually heal on their own. But, complex fractures require surgery. The surgery involves making an incision in the skin over the fractured bone causing the bone. This caused the bone to be exposed for an orthopedic surgeon to realign the fractured bones and secured them with implants including pins, wires, screws, and plates. The surgeon would close the incision after stabilizing and place your foot in a cast, splint, boot, or post-operative shoe.
    • The surgeon can restore the alignment of the fractured bone without a large incision with some fractures. However, in some fractures, appropriate implants through one or more small incisions are required known as percutaneous fracture fixation. The main advantages include smaller incisions, less trauma to the tissues, less disruption of the blood supply to the bone, and less pain after surgery.
      foot-surgery
• Metatarsal Surgery: The metatarsal bones consist of five long bones in the foot between the “tarsal bones” and the phalanges of the toes. When the metatarsophalangeal joints in your forefoot become arthritic it would lead to inflammation of the joint lining (synovitis). This results in metatarsophalangeal joint dislocation causing pain, discomfort, and walking on pebbles sensation.
  • The foot and ankle specialist or podiatrist would recommend metatarsal surgery to repair bunions, rheumatoid arthritis, or the issue causing deformity in the foot. The surgery involves cutting the metatarsal bone, repositioning it, and then fastening it in place using metal pins, plates, or screws. Common surgery for a metatarsal injury would involve removing the heads of the metatarsophalangeal joints and joining them to the big toe.
• Morton’s Neuroma Surgery: This is a painful condition involving a nerve that supplies feeling to two neighboring toes. This would affect the nerve to your third and fourth toes. The surgery involves the removal of the painful nerve if your symptoms are bad. The surgery involves the surgeon decompressing the nerve or removing the inflamed nerve altogether relieving the debilitating, burning pain.
  Reconstructive Surgery: The purpose of reconstructive surgery is to relieve the pain, inflammation, and discomfort caused due to injury, arthritis, congenital abnormalities, or infection. Reconstructive surgery helps to restore function and mobility. Reconstructive foot surgery helps to correct birth defects, diseases, and other foot ailments providing medical and aesthetic needs. A foot deformity can affect balance and gait that is addressed with reconstructive surgery.
  The surgery involves various tiny incisions to insert an arthroscope and miniature surgical instruments into the joint. The surgeon can see the internal structures with the help of a camera attached to the arthroscope and evaluate the joint. The small surgical instruments would repair or remove the damaged bone or tendon depending upon the extent of the injury.

The advantages include:

• • Minimal trauma
  • Shorter recovery time
  • Greater range of motion
  • Decreased muscle atrophy

• • Plantar Fasciitis Foot Surgery: Plantar fascia is a thick ligament running from the toes to your heels providing support to the arch of your foot.
    • Plantar fasciitis happens due to ligament getting irritated and inflamed causing heel pain. Plantar fasciotomy involves detaching your fascia from your heel bone to relieve tension. The connective tissue experiences new growth encouraging lengthening of your fascia during the healing process. The surgery aims to reduce the pain and improve foot mobility to carry on your usual activities.
  • Hammertoe Foot Surgery: Hammertoe is a condition leading to a permanent bend of the toes resulting in clawed or deformed toes.
    • Hammertoe is quite a painful condition mainly while walking that can be repaired surgically with arthroplasty or arthrodesis. Recovery for hammertoe surgery takes a maximum of six weeks.

• • Bunion Surgery: Bunions occur at the base of the big toe causing the formation of bony lumps resulting from hallux valgus. This causes the big toe joint to become deformed when it bends towards the other toes causing the bunions.
    • Females are prone to the formation of bunions due to footwear choices such as high heels.
    • The surgery for bunions involves correction with help of an osteotomy, where the big toe and metatarsals are straightened.
• Flat foot surgery: The tibialis posterior is a muscle supporting your instep arch. The tibialis posterior tendon helps in connecting the muscle to the bone. Injury to the tendon either by a fall or through overuse causes the tibialis posterior tendon to become inflamed resulting in a swollen and painful foot arch.
  • Tibialis posterior dysfunction is common in high-impact sports athletes including soccer or basketball players. Tibialis posterior dysfunction would weaken the tendon and compromise the instep arch that is referred to as flatfoot if this is left untreated.

TAKEAWAY

Foot surgery is necessary when conservative treatment methods do not work. Another possibility of foot and ankle surgery includes exercise, foot care, drug treatment, and modified shoes.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from foot problems, our expert providers at Specialty Care Clinics will take care of your health and help you recover.

Call us on (469) 545-9983 to book an appointment with our specialists.