When Do I Need Foot and Ankle Surgery?
Many foot and ankle problems can be addressed with conservative strategies. Some approach may include:
- Changing or modifying activities
- Wearing more supportive shoes
- Avoiding activities that worsen your pain
- Adding corrective orthotics to your shoes, prescribed by a specialist
- Physical therapy
- Pain pills and/or creams
- Shockwave therapy for chronic soft tissue disorders
However, there are some conditions that shouldn’t wait. These include:
- A recent broken bone
- Rupture/torn Achilles tendon in active individuals
- Retained debris or foreign material causing infection
- Compartment syndrome
In other cases, elective surgery may be discussed once conservative treatment has failed to relieve you of pain and deformity. Types of surgery Dr. Tea performs include:
- Bunion & hammertoe correction
- Joint replacement or fusion of the big toe
- Nerve decompression and/or neurectomy
- Shaving of bone spurs
- Ankle arthroscopy with debridement of inflamed tissue
- Charcot deformity correction
- Wound surgery, split-thickness skin grafts, skin and/or muscle flaps