If you are in need of the professional services of a podiatrist following a foot or ankle injury, or if you are seeking relief from the pain and discomfort caused by issues such as bunions or hammertoes, your major concern may well be the recovery time you will need to recover from corrective surgery. This is where the importance of being able to choose between invasive and minimally invasive surgical treatments becomes apparent.

What Types Of Issues Are Usually Treated By Podiatrists?

There are a number of issues that are usually treated by qualified podiatrists. These include, but are not limited to, the following conditions:

• Hammertoes and other unnatural curvatures of the toes
• Broken bones in the ankle, feet, or toes
• Bunions
• Fungal growths in the toenails or between the toes
• Injuries to the heel
• Spurs on the heel

Why Do People Use Terms Like “Invasive” And “Minimally Invasive?”

You may have heard the terms “invasive” and “minimally invasive” before. These terms refer to two distinct surgical techniques. “Invasive” basically refers to the formerly routine type of surgery that has been used to treat chronic conditions and injuries of the feet, toes, heels, and ankles. It is referred to as invasive because it involves major incisions from the scalpel so that the podiatrist could penetrate to the source of the trouble and correct it. However, this invasive form of surgery also results in an occasionally protracted recovery time, with a high probability of attendant discomfort or pain, depending on the severity of the injury.

What Does It Mean To Have A “Minimally Invasive” Foot Surgery?

By contrast, the current method of “minimally invasive” foot surgery avoids the long and potentially painful recovery time required by invasive surgical procedures. It does this by making use of modern surgical techniques, assisted by the latest technology, such as lasers, endoscopes, and other tools.

Podiatrists can now perform surgery with only minimal use of the scalpel, or none at all. This reduces the amount of time needed for recovery, as well as the time required to perform the operation itself. Minimally invasive surgery is thus far more productive of the desired result, while also costing considerably less. For these reasons, as well as others, minimally invasive surgery has become the industry norm for patients who require the professional assistance of a foot doctor.