Why You Won’t Need Crutches After Foot Surgery | Nagy Footcare

Why You Won’t Need Crutches After Foot Surgery

| May 1st, 2018

Posted In: Foot Surgery

The mention of foot surgery can cause a frightening reaction for many people. The need to use their feet every day increases their anxiety. This no longer has to be the case. With the advancements in surgical techniques and podiatry, minimally invasive surgery makes it possible for you to leave the hospital without crutches. The only support you need is a surgical walking boot that protects your foot and allows you to maintain a modest level of activity.

What is Minimally Invasive Surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery means that there is no large incision and that the surgical technique used does not disrupt or traumatize a large area of tissue. The foot is largely made up of connective tissue and bone which makes getting to the root of the problem much easier. There is less damage to the soft tissues and muscles of the foot, making it easier to heal. The healing process associated with any type of surgery will still take time. The bone and connective tissue of the foot receive less blood flow than softer tissues resulting in a slightly longer healing time. Procedures like the HyProCure® technique can be performed quickly and efficiently in Dr. Nagy’s office and requires anywhere from six to eight weeks to fully heal.

What Conditions Is MIS Used For?

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is effective for many conditions that affect the feet. A few of these conditions include:

  • Hammertoes
  • Bunions
  • Pronation of the foot
  • Toenail fungus
  • Heel spurs
  • Pinched nerves

Dropped metatarsals and other foot conditions like plantar fasciitis may involve nerve damage that can lead to minimally invasive surgery if no other treatment options correct the problem. Dr. Nagy will try many different treatment options, saving surgery as a last resort.

Crutches vs Surgical Walking Boot

In the past, any type of foot surgery required a patient to walk around on crutches for several days, sometimes even weeks. Traditional surgery techniques normally required a long incision that opened up the foot, disrupting large areas of tissue and damaging connective tissues in order to get to the area where the repairs needed to be made. This type of procedure could cause massive amounts of inflammation, dramatically increased the patient’s risk of infection and greatly reduce a person’s mobility. Crutches were needed to keep the patient from putting any weight on their foot during the first few days or weeks after surgery.

With today’s advancements in surgical techniques, Dr. Nagy no longer has to make a large incision. He an accomplish just as much, and sometimes even more, with an incision that is less than an inch long. These minimally invasive procedures require less time to heal and, because of the reduced trauma to the foot, allows for almost immediate use of the foot. Instead of using crutches, surgical walking boots can be used to support the foot. This allows the patient greater mobility without fear of re-injuring the area while the patient is healing.

Aftercare

After the procedure is over, Dr. Nagy will provide you with a list of things you can do as well as a list of things you should avoid. Part of this will include detailed wound care to reduce your risk of infection. Depending on the type of condition being treated, there will also be physical therapy exercises that will help you to regain your strength and increase your mobility. Exercising will also improve circulation and speed up the healing process.

At Nagy FootCare, if you are scheduled for any type of minimally invasive surgical procedure Dr. Nagy will go over the entire procedure. He will explain the benefits of the procedure, any risks, aftercare, and things that you might expect after your procedure. Part of this will include sending you home in a surgical walking boot that will allow you more mobility during the recovery period. His ultimate goal is to correct your problem with as little trauma as possible. With minimally invasive procedures he is able to reduce your healing time and allow you to return to your normal routine in a shorter amount of time. If you have questions about minimally invasive surgery or if you have a foot problem that needs immediate attention, contact Dr. Nagy and schedule an appointment as soon possible.

At Nagy Footcare, our best day is when you wake up with no foot pain.

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