Have you suffered from a foot or ankle injury? Here’s what you need to know about foot and ankle surgery and how our doctors can help restore your health and quality of life.
Injuries to the foot and ankle are amongst the most frequently occurring musculoskeletal injuries. However, most people with such issues don’t necessarily need surgery. Whether or not your foot doctor decides to operate depends on factors such as:
- The severity of your symptoms (the pain and its effect on your life)
- Your specific needs and current health
- Your response to other treatments, including special footwear or drugs
By discussing these with your foot doctor, he/she will be able to advise you on whether they think surgery would be the safest and most suitable option.
Customized Foot and Ankle Surgery in Kelowna
At our Kelowna private hospital, we have a team of board-certified plastic surgeons and doctors who can provide foot and ankle surgery, as well as other treatments, to help restore the function to your feet and enhance your quality of life.
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5 Benefits of Foot and Ankle Surgery
In the medical world, foot surgery is often viewed as a ‘last resort’ treatment. This is because it is a more invasive intervention, and comes with higher costs and risks than more traditional treatments.
However, there are cases where your foot doctor may suggest surgery because it provides many benefits, such as:
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Improved appearance. For patients who were born with, or have foot deformities, surgery will allow them to enjoy greater comfort and function, as well as enhanced self-confidence.
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Pain relief. For those who are suffering from discomfort and pain due to a foot or ankle injury, surgery will result in long-lasting pain relief.
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Greater footwear selection. If you have a foot or ankle issue that makes it difficult to fit into most types of shoes, then surgery may allow you to enjoy greater footwear selection.
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Prevention. There are some conditions, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, that require surgical intervention to prevent any future foot deformation.
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Better mobility. Is a foot or ankle injury preventing you from performing day to day activities? Surgery can help restore function to your limbs and result in better mobility.
What are the Risks of Foot and Ankle Surgery?
As with any surgery, results vary for individual patients, and there can also occasionally be complications. Some of these include:
- Your replacement joint may not be as hard-wearing or long-lasting as your natural joint.
- Some operations may restrict joint movement (though this doesn’t necessarily mean it will reduce your mobility).
- It can come with a long recovery period. After an ankle fusion, you must keep your weight off your foot for at least 3 months.
- Occasionally, small nerves around the incision can be damaged, leading to some numbness.
- You may experience some complications during surgery such as infection, swelling, or stiffness.
- In some cases where your bones are fused together, the fusion doesn’t work properly and you may require additional surgery.
Safe and Effective Foot Surgery in Kelowna
At our Kelowna private hospital, our team of surgeons are knowledgeable and extremely experienced in all types of foot surgery. Whatever your needs, we have the expertise and training to handle any issue and complication and give you the safest and most satisfactory results.
To find out more about the costs and benefits of our foot surgery, visit our health centre located at 401-3320 Richter St, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1W 4V5.
Alternatively, you can contact us at 250-868-9799 or fill in our online contact form.
