Different Types of Foot Surgery | Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland (2024)

FAQs

What type of doctor is best for foot surgery? ›

Both podiatrists and orthopaedic surgeons are qualified to treat foot and ankle conditions, surgically and non-surgically. In general, the best bet is to choose the doctor you feel the most comfortable with, or who has the most experience treating your particular condition.

Both are concerned with bones, muscles, ligaments and joints in the foot. Outside of this, orthopedic surgeons are concerned with other areas of the body, including knees, hips, spine. Podiatrists are concerned with other organ systems in the foot and ankle, including the skin, blood vessels and nerves.

1. Bunion correction. The goal of bunion correction is to realign the joint at the base of the big toe, relieve pain and repair the bones. Your surgeon may make small cuts to realign the bone, tendons and ligaments properly.

"Cinderella surgery" is a term for cosmetic procedures that make the feet look better, like fixing a bunion, reshaping the foot, or getting rid of corns, calluses, or other foot problems. The term comes from the story of Cinderella, who couldn't wear her glass slippers because her feet hurt.

Complications of foot and ankle surgery can include infections, swelling and stiffness, and wound haematoma (bleeding). If you're generally healthy the risk of a serious complication from an operation is very small. Every possible care is taken to prevent complications, but in a few cases these do happen.

Take ankle replacement and ankle fusion for instance: current studies show that ankle arthroplasty has about a 90 percent satisfaction rate, while with ankle fusion, up to 100 percent of patients reported substantial pain relief after their procedure.

The truth is that foot and ankle orthopedic surgeons have the most comprehensive training available for nonsurgical treatment options and have the highest level of qualifications to diagnose the root cause of any foot or ankle problem.

Podiatrists are qualified to perform surgeries on bunions, although they typically resort to surgical intervention only after first-line treatment options have been exhausted.

Lapiplasty® is a new procedure using patented technology to correct not only the bunion, but its root cause. It straightens three dimensions of alignment of the metatarsal bone. First, it corrects the sideways lean of your metatarsal bone.

What foot conditions require surgery? ›

Foot and ankle surgery is generally reserved for cases in which less invasive, conservative procedures have failed to alleviate the problem. Some of the cases in which surgery may be necessary include: Removing foot deformities like bunions and bone spurs. Severe arthritis that has caused bone issues.

It is normal to experience swelling and pain after foot surgery especially if tissue has been cut or removed and bones were moved back into place. You may even experience tingling or burning as your foot heals. Once healing takes place, the pain should continue to decrease until it subsides.

Lateral Column Lengthening (Evans Osteotomy) for Adult Acquired Flatfoot. This surgical procedure is used to modify the shape of the foot, creating an arch to correct the condition of pes planus (commonly called flat foot or fallen arch).

What Is the Kidner Procedure? The Kidner Procedure begins by detaching the accessory navicular bone from the posterior tibial tendon and removing it from the foot. With the bone removed, the surgeon then attaches the tendon onto the proper navicular bone.

A podiatrist is a doctor of podiatric medicine and surgery who specializes in caring for your feet and ankles. They examine, diagnose and treat issues that affect your feet, ankles and lower legs.

Podiatrists treat everything from bunions to infected toenails, and patients are guaranteed to receive the best answer for their foot problems from a podiatrist. But there is another term that many people – particularly older patients – still use for foot doctors: chiropodist.

Podiatrists specialise in assessing and treating various foot-related conditions to promote overall lower limb health. On the other hand, orthotists are trained experts in orthotics, which involves using external devices to correct bone and muscle alignment in the body.

Alan MacGill was named one of the tops amongst the best in the U.S.! The list of these top foot and ankle surgeons to know have led accomplished careers and they have held leadership positions at some of the top institutions across the United States!