Surgical Correction of Flat Feet

Good health is a blessing. When one experiences pain in different parts of the body, it can disrupt normal activity. Pain often arises in the ankle joint due to flattening of the arch of the foot, a condition normally referred to as ‘Flat Feet’.

Types of Flat Feet Surgical Correction:

When patient symptoms and the severity of the condition call for it, flat feet may be treated surgically. In such cases, surgery is used to correct the alignment of the bones and tissues of the feet, which reduces the pain caused by misalignment and helps the patient to walk well again. The types of flat foot surgery are as follows:

• Lateral Column Lengthening
• Tendon and Ligament Procedures
• Medializing Calcaneal Osteotomy
• First Tarsal-Metatarsal Fusion
• Double/Triple Arthrodesis

Your surgeon will examine the condition of your feet and determine which procedure is the most suitable treatment.

Risks Associated with Surgery:

Your foot surgeon will discuss risks with you and talk about any other complications that might affect you, which may include:

• Nerve damage: There are many nerves near common incision sites for the above types of surgery. These nerves supply the feeling to the skin near the ankle. Though permanent damage is rarely seen, you may experience instances where you lose feeling in the leg after surgery. This will improve when nerve damage improves over time.
• Prominent metalwork: Metallic implants are sometimes used to fuse the joint and you may feel this after the surgery. Once the bone has set (after two to three weeks), the metalwork can be removed and you will not feel any pain or irritation.
• Infection: If you choose a good hospital, this risk will remain minimized.
• Deep vein thrombosis: DVT is where a blood clot forms in the vein in the leg. Your doctor will study your medical charts to determine if this is likely in your case. In cases where it is considered likely, your doctor will instruct you to take blood-thinning medicines to reduce the possibility of DVT.

You can check flat feet surgery before and after pictures to better inform yourself of what to expect from surgical treatment of flat foot. The surgeon will outline the case to you and tell you if there is anything specific that you should be aware of.

Recovery Time after Flat Feet Surgery:

When flat foot correction is performed well, one can take part in an active lifestyle, including activities such as biking, golfing and playing other games. It may take some time for one to return to strenuous activities post-surgery.

Patients can often go home on the same day as the surgery. In some cases, they may have to stay overnight at the hospital.