Mr Blackney specialises in keyhole foot surgery, benefits of this technique include:
- Tiny incisions
- Minimal swelling
- Fast recovery
- Day Surgery
- No heavy anaesthetic
There is a lot to like about keyhole foot surgery. Most toe and foot problems can be treated in this way in our practice. Deformities can be corrected and pain relieved. All leading to better function, shoeware and enjoyment. At your consultation, if surgery is considered helpful these techniques will be discussed.
Minimally Invasive Foot Surgery
MIS (Minimally Invasive Surgery) of the foot has become very popular over the last few years. It is now becoming the default technique for many procedures, particularly in the forefoot. The advantages of keyhole techniques are many, with smaller wounds, less infection risk, less swelling and faster recovery all making for improved outcomes.
What is Minimally Invasive Foot Surgery (MIS)?
The foot has many small bones that are used in walking. When the bones come out of position it can cause both pain and difficulty with footwear. Over time this may not be able to be controlled by altering shoes or orthotics. Traditionally to adjust things surgeons have had to open the foot and re position the bones with instruments similar to carpenters. Minimally invasive foot surgery offers the opportunity to do similar things with keyhole incisions as the surgeons uses special instruments under X-ray control. The wounds are so small they do not require stitches and the overall trauma to the foot is greatly reduced.
Conditions treated by minimally invasive foot surgery at this practice:
Our most important skill is diagnosis and treatment. Mostly we can help without surgery but when required our preferred approach is minimally invasive (keyhole) foot surgery. Tiny incisions, less pain, less swelling, faster recovery.
- Bunions – all ages, all sizes
- Hallux Rigidus (Big toe arthritis)
- Correction of toe deformities
- Disclocated toes
- Metatarsal Pain
- Plantar plate tears
- Bunionette
- Midfoot arthritis
- Jones fracture
- Plantar fasciitis
If you have any of these problems you should consider minimally invasive foot surgery.
What can be treated with MIS?
In the forefoot treatments include bunions, particularly arthritic ones, and all lesser toe deformities. If pain is present under the ball of the foot the bones can be elevated here to relieve discomfort. Spurs can be removed through most parts of the foot this way. It is often used to treat arthritis and correct deformities of the foot to relieve pain and improve mechanics.
Can my problem be treated with keyhole surgery?
To get the best results one needs the right tool for the job so it will be up to the specialist to make a wise choice. We need to keep in mind that surgery is a long term investment and we need to make choices that are for the long term. Ultimately an open procedure maybe be the best for some conditions. So the question to ask is what will give me the best result and work back from there.
What are the risks?
The risks are small, certainly less than with open surgery. It is very important to respect the mechanics of the foot and understand the limitations of minimally invasive surgery.