Advances in Minimally Invasive Surgery

In the past Foot and ankle arthrodesis (also referred to as fusions) were performed with large surgical incisions. Now many of these procedures are performed with arthroscopic techniques. this leads to faster healing with lower risk and in some patients less pain.

The picture on the left shows a common surgical incision used to perform a subtalar fusion.

The picture on the right shows the smaller arthroscopic incisions used to perform the same surgery.

Advances in Forefoot surgery.

(Bunions, Arthritis of the big toe, Hammertoes, Bunionettes, and Metatarsalgia)

Bunions, bunionettes, hammertoes, arthritis, and pain under the ball of the foot are common problems that can produce significant pain and loss of function.  Conservative treatment options including off-loading pads, wider and deeper shoes, and analgesics can be utilized.  If these measures fail, operative intervention can be pursued. At the Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Institute of South Florida we were one of the first centers in the United States to adopt modern, minimally invasive surgical procedures to address these problems.