Foot surgery is often necessary in order to realign bones, treat arthritis or repair severe injuries. You should adhere to any pre-surgical instructions regarding anaesthesia use and care after the operation.
Some patients may require further tests or consultations with other specialists; it is wise to get a second opinion in these instances.
Reconstructive Surgery
Getting foot surgery podiatrist Adelaide can provide significant relief from various foot conditions. When conservative solutions like changing footwear, applying pads or reducing calluses fail to offer relief, your podiatrist may opt for surgery on either or both feet or ankles as a remedy.
A podiatrist can perform reconstructive surgery to relieve foot pain and realign its structure. These procedures may take place either in their office or surgical centre under local anaesthesia.
Bunions (bony bumps that cause your big toe to push against other toes) and hammertoes can both be surgically treated by extracting or realigning toe bones and tissues, or fuse joints as required. A foot specialist is typically the one best qualified to provide this care.
Tendon surgery can help repair severe injuries or lengthen and shorten tendons in the foot and ankle, as well as improve their functionality. Your podiatrist may reroute these tendons for optimal functioning of both feet and ankles.
Foot arthritis is painful and can impact how you walk. Non-surgical solutions may include switching up shoes, losing weight, wearing shoe inserts or physical therapy; if these treatments don’t bring relief then surgery could be recommended to rebalance the foot and reduce pressure on affected joints.
Metatarsal Surgery
Metatarsal surgery may be considered as an option if conservative treatments fail to bring relief of pain. It involves cutting and repositioning bone (osteotomy), shortening and elevating toes to relieve pressure underfoot while relieving symptoms like clawing toes and ball of foot pain. Most foot surgery podiatrist Adelaide are completed under local anaesthetic and patients can return home the same day afterward.
Operative techniques vary; however, their main goal remains restoring foot stability through shortening the toe length and eliminating protruding prominences (metatarsal heads).
Follow post-operative instructions carefully in order to promote an optimal healing process and prevent infection, so you can get back to normal activities more quickly. Smoking or drinking alcohol during recovery increases risk and slows recovery time. Furthermore, keep wounds clean until instructed otherwise by your podiatrist.
Morton’s Neuroma Surgery
Neuromas are usually successfully managed with conservative measures, including footwear, pads and orthotics that reduce pressure on the nerve. Steroid injections to “kill” nerves may also be effective; surgery should usually only be considered when all other treatment methods have failed; surgery involves surgical removal of the neuroma and most people are very satisfied with its outcomes.
Morton’s neuroma symptoms typically include discomfort in the ball of foot and between your toes when walking or performing activities that apply pressure to affected area. Your doctor can diagnose this condition based on both symptoms and physical exam of foot; tests such as applying pressure between toe bones or even an MRI scan to gain a closer look at soft tissues can be used as diagnostic tools.
Removal of Morton’s neuroma requires surgery performed in an office surgical suite using local anaesthesia on the foot and intravenous twilight anaesthesia for sedation. After an initial recovery period in the office, most patients can return home after several days – it’s important to keep it elevated during this time, though.
Fusion Surgery
Sometimes non-surgical solutions cannot provide relief for foot and ankle problems. If you suffer from severe arthritis that doesn’t respond to medications, shoes, pads, weight loss or any other non-invasive strategies, a foot surgery podiatrist Adelaide might be the solution.
Foot arthritis refers to inflammation of one or more joints in your feet and can result in pain, stiffness and swelling. A podiatrist can help alleviate its symptoms with non-surgical solutions like changing shoes, losing weight, taking medication or physical therapy; in extreme cases they may recommend surgery to alleviate pain and restore function.
Fractures
When conservative treatments of foot and ankle problems do not prove successful, podiatrists may recommend surgery to alleviate pain and deformities, restore function to feet and lower legs, and protect from further damage.
After graduating from medical school, podiatric physicians typically complete three years of residency at a hospital to put what they’ve learned into practice. Their patients include seniors and children as well as athletes suffering injuries to the feet or ankles.