Partial Amputation = Recommended Treatment Process
Partial amputation of the fourth toe was the recommendation for the patient whose foot is featured in the video included in this post.
The end result for patients and the path to recovery is influential in these tough decisions. I avoid unnecessary amputation. However, there comes a time when recovery and the future are linked in a decision to proceed. When a heavy steel pipe dropped onto the patient’s foot, it cut through the shoe and severely damaged the fourth toe.
All toes are important, but the removal of a seriously damaged fourth toe won’t hinder mobility or balance after recovery. Pain relief and safe recovery for the patient by removing the injured part of the digit was the final consideration.
I’m glad to be able to tell you that the patient recovered without complications. That meets important criteria for the final result with my patients at Hoosier Foot and Ankle clinics.
Procedure to Lengthen the Gastrocnemius Muscle
When limited or compromised ankle motion goes untreated, other issues may be involved or can develop such as flat feet.
The treatment for this condition is called Gastroc Recession and is shown in the video entitled “Gastroc Recession for Pediatric Flatfoot Deformity.”
While specific causes aren’t certain, the ankle may be compromised by hereditary conditions, aging, medical issues or immobilizing restraint from treatment. The condition can show up in children or adults.
Expert corrective treatment from a qualified surgeon is usually quite successful. If you have persistent pain in the front of your foot or have been living with a birth defect that makes you walk on your toes, call Hoosier Foot and Ankle for a consultation appointment. After Dr. Deheer examines your condition, he will be able to recommend treatment which can vary from exercises to surgery.
Painful Ingrown Toe Nails | Removal Methods
When toenails become ingrown, the issue can repeat itself. Sometimes poorly fitting shoes, especially with a shallow toe box can contribute to the toenail becoming ingrown, especially the big toe.
Trimming toenails too close can be another path to the problem of ingrown toenails.
Ingrown toe nails are painful and can lead to infection which contributes to even greater risk. People who are suffering from diabetes seem to be likely to develop ingrown toenails and have risk of poor healing or infection.
Stubborn ingrown toenails, usually, again at the big toe, require some surgical treatment. At Hoosier Foot and Ankle, I treat them with removal of the nail in the irritated area, plus inflamed or infected tissue, using a local anesthesia. Then, alcohol and Phenol are applied to prevent regrowth.
The procedure in this video is usually successful with rapid recovery. Call Hoosier Foot and Ankle 1-800-615-1363 for an appointment to get relief from your ingrown toenail. We have five clinics in the Indianapolis area.
Hammer Toe | Relief is Possible
Arthropathy is a big word for a painful toe — deformed to have the shape of a hammer. Thus the name, Hammer Toe.
Hammer toe often goes together with bunions which have forced the toe into an unnatural position. Shoes that fit poorly, especially those that are too small or too tight around the toes can contribute to the issue. It is common for a callus to form on the bottom of the toe and a corn to occur on the top. Wearing some shoes can make this condition excruciatingly painful.
There are some conservative treatment methods that I would offer to a patient as well as surgery. Things like physical therapy and shoes with a larger, more roomy toe box. Your first appointment at Hoosier Foot and Ankle can give us a chance to discuss what treatment paths would work best for you.
When surgery is necessary, there are some very predictable implant options that will stabilize the toe and permit it to have a more normal appearance. Implanting a Smart Toe fixation is part of the treatment shown in this video.
The Long and Short of Toes
Toes do not always line up in descending order the way we see illustrated for the nursery rhyme “This Little Piggy.”
Sometimes a person will have one toe that is shorter than the others. More common is extra length on the first and second toe where the digit sticks out further than the big toe and can even hang over the fronts of open toed shoes.
Women often don’t perceive their feet as being attractive if there are non-conforming toes. But, these conditions can be issues beyond vanity, similar to many instances of bunions.
The foot pain may be showing up as back discomfort or hip discomfort. The differently sized toes are responsible for pressure and weight being transferred to other toes and parts of the foot. The toes many not be painful leading their owner to thinking the toes should be ignored or covered up because simple cosmetic surgery for feet seems kind of extravagant.
However, the feet are at the foundation of the body and general feeling of well-being. Neglected feet can be contributing to misery as mentioned earlier. Corrective surgery may produce both a more ascetically appealing look, but also relieve pressures on other weight bearing parts of your body.
Toes that are longer than comfortable can have bone removed surgically. Extra short toes would have the phalanges lengthened in a procedure called Brachymetatarsia.
If you have toes that are making you glad it is close to winter and boot weather so they won’t be showing, consider a consultation about them at Hoosier Foot and Ankle. Dr. DeHeer will deliver honest, compassionate opinions about your options. If pain is involved, he can get you some relief. If you simply want feet that seem prettier to you, he can help you with that as well.
Call 1-800-615-1363 today or visit our Online Appointment page; someone at Hoosier Foot and Ankle will contact you within 24 hours to confirm an appointment. If you are a new patient, you can review our New Patient package online. We have five clinics in the Indianapolis, Indiana area for your appointment convenience.
Morton’s Neuroma | My Practical Point of View
A couple weeks ago, I published a blog post at PodiatryToday entitled A Practical Approach to Morton’s Neuroma
I wrote because I like practical applications and treatments at my office and for my patients. It is my belief that the Morton’s Neuroma condition is under-diagnosed which leads to under-treatment. The symptoms are frequently treated as part of other conditions.
Morton’s Neuroma can hide behind heel pain and not show up until the heel pain is relieved. The patient complaint that starts me on the search for Morton’s Neuroma is ‘discomfort with orthotics’ or even intolerance of the orthotics being used to treat heel pain.
The article outlines my path of treatment when I am suspicious of Morton’s Neuroma which can include medication or surgery as indicated by close observation of the patient.
I hope you find the information in A Practical Approach to Morton’s Neuroma informative and helpful, whether you are a colleague looking for practical applications for your patients or you are a patient looking for answers to that mysterious pain and discomfort that isn’t responding to treatment, Please feel free to contact me in either case. As a patient, you can call 1-800-615-1363 or use the Online Appointment option. If you are a new patient, you can find the New Patient Intake Forms online which permits you to complete them at your convenience.
There is Life After Bunions | Austin/Akin Bunionectomy Video #3
There can be life after bunions. When we’ve worked out a plan of action in consultation, if surgery is chosen as the option for treatment of your painful bunions, we will move forward with a plan that will bring relief.
After surgery, there will be follow-up visits with recommendations about your recovery activities — what to put on your foot during recovery, what activities such as weigh bearing and walking, when you can expect to be walking comfortably. This video which is the final one in a series of three shows finishing techniques, while the audio explains what I am doing in detail.
Call Hoosier Foot and Ankle at 1-800-615-1363 today for a consultation appointment or use the Online Appointment link to get things started toward treatment for your painful bunions.
Bunions are Painful and Contribute to Pain at Other Body Points
The bunion that is giving you so much misery is not entirely your fault and you don’t have to suffer pain while taking the supposed blame for shoe choices or other things that we are sometimes told cause bunions. People are susceptible to bunions due to the positioning of the bones in their feet and a this susceptibility can be hereditary. Intervention with corrective surgery can bring relief to foot pain. And possibly relieve other discomfort that are related to ways of moving or walking to avoid the foot pain. The video in this post is Part 2 of a series of 3 videos showing the surgery option for bunion correction. Audio with the video carefully explains everything I am doing to accomplish the bunionectomy.
If you have a bunion on one foot or both feet, a consultation at my office, Hoosier Foot and Ankle, can give you some options for relief. Contact us today at 1-800-615-1363 or use the online Appointment form to request and appointment to learn more about how to manage bunions.
Surgery is One Option to Relieve Painful Bunions on Feet
Bunions are painful, but this pain is usually the first symptoms. If the patient had any control over the bunion development, the time for avoiding the painful issue has passed. Intervention is the prospect. Surgery can give relief and is common. The video is the first part of three videos. I have added audio to explain what I am doing during the surgery.
Call Hoosier Foot and Ankle at 1-800-615-1363 (or use the online Appointment Request) for a consultation if bunions are giving you painful problems. There are varied possibilities for relief and once I have been able to examine your foot, I can talk the options over with you.
Millie is the Better Writer! | Read Millie’s Story
Millie kindly wrote a book, Millie’s Story – The Feet, about her experience with Dr. DeHeer and Hoosier Foot and Ankle. She is definitely a good writer and illustrator.
Millie tells her story well — how her parents had taken her to more than one doctor about her painful flat feet.
A referral to us at Hoosier Foot and Ankle led to corrective surgery and a happy little girl who hopes your day is brightened by her story.
Millie is a trooper and we enjoyed working with her and are as happy as she is that her feet are no longer painful. She wrote and illustrated a book that we are pleased to share with you at the link on the home page. Read Millie’s Story today. If you have foot pain that doesn’t go away, check with us soon. We’d like to see you have the same happy future for your feet that Millie has.
You can begin the process by requesting an appointment online and downloading new patient forms to complete at your convenience.
