Foot and ankle surgery may be the best option if your condition or injury doesn't improve after trying other treatments. Your podiatrists at Potomac Podiatry Group with offices in Crofton, MD, and Chantilly, and Woodbridge, VA, can help you decide if it's time for surgery.
Do you need surgery?
Although foot and ankle conditions often get better with non-surgical treatments, that's not always the case. You may benefit from surgery if:
- Walking and standing are difficult: Mobility may be a challenge if your foot or ankle is unstable or can't support your weight.
- You're tired of living with pain: Severe or chronic pain can affect your quality of life and make it difficult to carry out the most basic daily tasks.
- Other treatments have been unsuccessful: If you aren't any better despite trying several treatments, surgery may be the best option.
- You've begun to experience pain in other parts of your body: A foot or ankle injury may cause you to change your gait, which is the way you walk. Gait changes can alter the alignment of your body and lead to knee, hip, or back pain.
What types of conditions can be treated surgically?
Your Crofton, Chantilly, and Woodbridge foot doctor may recommend surgery if you have one of these conditions or injuries:
- Fractures: Surgery may be needed to stabilize broken bones in your foot or ankle.
- Bunions: Removing the bony bump at the base of your toe and realigning your joint will relieve your pain.
- Achilles Tendon Rupture: A surgical repair may be needed if the skinny tendon at the back of your ankle ruptures.
- Ingrown Toenail: A minor surgical procedure can remove the trapped part of your nail.
- Arthritis: Surgery can ease arthritis pain by removing inflamed tissues and bone spurs or fusing bones together.
- Other Conditions: Your podiatrist may also recommend surgery to correct a birth defect, improve stability in a severely sprained ankle, or treat plantar fasciitis, hammertoe, or an infected diabetic ulcer.
Foot and ankle surgery can improve your mobility and ease your pain. If you'd like to find out if surgery is a good option for you, pay a visit to the podiatrists at Potomac Podiatry Group with offices in Crofton, MD, and Chantilly, and Woodbridge, VA, Schedule your appointment with a podiatrist by calling (703) 583-5959 for the Woodbridge office, (703) 490-5599 for the Chantilly, VA, office and (410) 721-4505 for the Crofton, MD, office.