Podiatry

Surgical podiatry refers to the diagnosis and surgical remediation of conditions relating to the feet, ankles, and lower extremities.

This can involve any issue that impacts a patient’s ability to move or effectively use their lower limbs, such as:

• Bunions
• Sprains
• Torn ligaments
• Flat foot
• Broken bones
• More…

People of all ages could require the services of a surgical podiatrist, from newborns to the elderly. Podiatric surgery is also common for athletes, as the lower extremities can suffer impact trauma in full-contact sports.

Podiatric surgeons specialize in providing expert care and treatment to patients with issues below the knee.

Surgical podiatry is a particular specialization following medical school, much like neurosurgery or dermatology. Following four years as an undergrad and four years in medical school, future podiatric surgeons spend an additional three to four years honing their skills until they are experts in their field.

Within surgical podiatry, professionals can specialize further in certain procedures, such as

• Reconstructions
• Trauma
• Diabetic limb salvage
• Sports medicine

Anyone who is suffering from any debilitating condition affecting their lower extremities could benefit from a consultation with a podiatric foot and ankle surgeon.

Those who play contact sports are at greater risk of requiring surgical assistance for broken bones, strained muscles, or joint reconstructions. People who suffer from bunions caused by tight shoes or genetics could also improve their quality of life through surgery. In general, any individual of any age or activity level could benefit from seeing a foot doctor if they have foot pain or discomfort on a regular basis.

Your podiatric surgeon will consult with you and ask you about what is troubling you and what you would like to address. They will collect a detailed history of your injury to determine the likely cause and the best corrective procedure.

To have the most complete picture of what is happening around the injury site, X-rays, MRIs, and ultrasounds may be requested to ensure the surgeon has as much information as possible before the procedure.

Once all the information has been gathered and assessed by your surgeon, they will discuss your options and the best course of action for you.

As with most types of surgery, recovery times for podiatric surgery will vary depending on the complexity and extent of your particular procedure.

Average recovery times for something like a foot and ankle reconstruction can take up to 9 months, whereas a bunionectomy could have a recovery time of around 8 weeks.

Whatever your situation, your podiatric surgeon will explain the aftercare required for your procedure and ensure you are set up with any physical therapy or dressing changes you might need during your recovery period.