When Is Minimally Invasive Surgery Necessary for My Feet?

Your feet are the foundation of your body and if they’re causing you pain, you suffer. If you’ve tried conservative treatments for foot pain with no success, surgery may be the next step in getting you healthy, functional feet.

In the past, conventional surgery involving large incisions and long recoveries was the only option. Today, medical technology is such that minimally invasive procedures are possible in many cases for issues such as bunions and mallet toes. Minimally invasive measures involve a small, keyhole-sized incision through which tiny instruments may be passed to perform the operation.

Minimally invasive surgery carries shorter hospital stays, reduced recovery time, less blood loss, and a lower risk of infection as compared to conventional surgery. At Go Feet in Mays and Landing, New Jersey, we evaluate your feet and recommend minimally invasive surgery, when necessary.

Here are some examples of when you might need minimally invasive surgery for your feet.

BUNIONS AND BUNIONETTES

If you have a bunion at your big toe joint or a bunionette, or tailor’s bunion, at your pinky toe side, minimally invasive surgery may be an option. Consider surgery for your case if you:

• Have had bunions for a long time, and they continue to grow
• Find bunions interfere with daily activity and shoe fit
• Can’t get relief with minimally invasive treatments

Minimally invasive bunion surgery is performed without general anesthesia. You will be sedated and your foot area completely numbed. The doctors make tiny incisions that are so small, they need just one small stitch to close. Then they remove the bunion realign your bone.

In most cases, you can walk shortly after surgery. You will have some activity restrictions as you heal, but can usually go back to work and do simple tasks, such as driving and shopping, right away.

HAMMERTOES AND MALLET TOES

A hammertoe, or mallet toe, describes one of your smaller toes that curls downward, rather than points straight forward. Usually, hammertoe happens as a result of trauma, poor footwear choices, genetics, and certain diseases. You may need surgery if:

• You experience great pain
• You can’t find shoes that fit comfortably
• You develop corns and calluses due to the hammertoe

When conservative treatments such as modified footwear and toe separators fail, minimally invasive surgery is a good option. During minimally invasive surgery, the doctors correct your hammertoe without pins or wires. You experience faster recovery, less time in a post-operative shoe, and reduced risk of pin tract infections. Expect to transition to regular footwear within two weeks.

ARTHRITIS

Arthritis can affect your feet, especially your big toe, leading to stiffness and pain when you walk or try other activities. With minimally invasive surgery, the doctors remove the arthritic portion of the bone and flush out bone debris through a tiny incision. The incision is so small, there’s usually no need for stitches. Full recovery takes just a few weeks, and you experience less pain and more range of motion when you move your foot and toes.

The doctors at Go Feet only recommend minimally invasive surgery when they’re certain you’ll get as good or better results than you might with conventional surgery. They discuss all your treatment options with you, so you can make an informed decision when it comes to your care.

Call Go Feet today, or schedule a consultation online to have your feet evaluated and find out if minimally invasive surgery can help your condition.