Phone: 817-416-6155
Frequently asked questions and fun foot facts all in one location. The patients in our Grapevine, Texas office love to ask a myriad of questions. We try to answer them all. Sometimes we even have to write a full length article on them, so take a look at our library as well. Have a question about your feet and ankles? You may find your answer here. Gait issues? Problems with shoes and socks? We have answers. Want more? Contact us and ask a question. We will answer!
The need for foot surgery is a decision made with you and your podiatrist after an evaluation. You should meet the following 2 criteria if you are considering proceeding with surgery.
- Pain is present and it is limiting your ability to do the things you like, love or have to do.
- You have tried and failed some conservative options.
If you have not met both of these criteria you should be evaluated by a podiatrist to discuss further options.
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Most implants used in the foot including screws, plates and joint replacements do not set off the metal detectors at airport. Even larger implants like hips and knees can sometimes escape detection. If you have had more extensive foot surgery for a trauma or foot reconstruction implants may set off the detectors, but this is not common. A simple detector wand over the foot can clear up this problem quickly.
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Pain of this type typically occurs under the ball of the foot and is caused by an inflamed nerve called a neuroma. Neuroma’s are treated with special padding or inserts and often an injection that reduces inflammation and pain.
There are 206 bones in your body. 26 are in each foot. So the bones of your feet make up just over 25% of the bones in your body!
A hammertoe is essentially a condition where the toe is bent at the joint. You can be born with feet that have hammertoes or you can develop them if, for instance, you chronically wear shoes that are too small, too pointy or heels that are too high.
In the early phases of a hammertoe, the joint of the toe bends, but can be straightened with little difficulty. As the years progress, the toe may reach a point where it does not straighten. At this point, without the previous flexibility, the joint can rub against a shoe making it uncomfortable.
There is no simple answer to this question since all surgeries and all patients are different. The most common bunion surgery is an Austin bunionectomy. This takes 8-10 weeks for recovery. 4 weeks in a walking cast boot, then 4 weeks in a sneaker. Another common bunion surgery is a Lapidus fusion. This takes 10-12 weeks for recovery. Usually 6-8 weeks in a non-weight bearing fiberglass cast, then two weeks in a walking cast boot followed by 2-4 weeks in a sneaker. Discuss your particular surgery with your surgeon, but these are generalizations.
While a podiatrist’s surgical training centers only around the foot and ankle, so is not the case with an orthopedic surgeon whose surgical practice may include knees, hips, shoulders, arms, hands etc… When it come to foot and ankle problems, remember this is ALL a podiatrist does and what better an expert than one who spends all of their time treating only foot and ankle problems? A podiatrist is the clear choice for your foot and ankle needs.
All of the surgeons in this practice believe in "first do no harm". Considering the risk of any surgery, we only perform surgery on people whose feet HURT, and for those whom conservative treatment did not help. We do however believe in "Aesthetic" surgery which is to use the best surgical techniques to provide a cosmetically pleasing post operative result. We want your feet to look pretty. But we do not make them pretty unless your feet hurt first!