Surgery for heel pain is always used as a last resort to resolve chronic heel pain after other options have been exhausted. Pain from heel pain, or plantar fasciitis, is caused by a build up of scar tissue on the plantar fascia. At Carmel Foot Specialists, we use a procedure called the TOPAZ procedure. TOPAZ is a quick, simple and minimally invasive treatment that gently dissolves scar tissue, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

TOPAZ has been associated with a quick return to daily activities. You may be put in a walking cast boot and night splints. The key in recovery is to stretch your calf before bed and after waking up, wearing your night splint, and icing the fascia.



For painful or severe bunions, outpatient surgery may be recommended to realign the affected joint. Any tight tendons on the inside of the toe are released and the bone that makes up the bunion is shaved away.



The most common bunion surgery reduces the angle between the first and second toes. After the bone is realigned and the bone is shaved away, ligaments and tendons around the joint may be tightened to hold it in place.

Your foot will be bandaged after surgery. If soft tissues were shifted, you may be given a splint to limit the foot movement. In such cases, the majority of healing should occur in a few weeks. If the bone was cut, you may need to wear a surgical shoe or a cast. Depending on the extent of the repair, healing may take several months.



Severe hammertoe symptoms may necessitate surgery and the type of surgery often depends on whether or not your toe joints are flexible or rigid. To release a buckled joint, the tight tendon is cut and repositioned. A piece of bone may be removed to help straighten a rigid toe.

Almost all hammertoe surgeries are outpatient. In Fact, you may be able to bear weight on your foot by the time you go home. However, for best results you may need to wear a surgical shoe for several weeks.



A neuroma is a thickening of a nerve usually caused by ill-fitting shoes or abnormal bone movement. Surgery is used often only as a last resort. However, in difficult cases, surgery may be necessary to remove the neuroma. The goal of surgery is to relieve the pressure caused by the enlarged nerve. One surgical option is to simply release the ligament between the metatarsal bones. The second option is to remove the neuroma completely. Your podiatrist will discuss with you which option is best for you.

Usually, you can return to normal activities within three to six weeks. You may feel numbness, which could be permanent in the area where the nerve was removed.



An ankle fractures is the same thing as a broken ankle. With this injury, one or more of the bones that make up the ankle joint are separated into pieces. There may be ligament damage as well. Fractures of the ankle range from a minor twisting injury, to those associated with a violent impact. Ankle fractures often lead to the cartilage lining of the ankle to be disturbed. The goal of treating all ankle fractures is to re-position the bones to prevent arthritis from occurring.

Wearing a boot or a cast can treat some minor ankle fractures. However, most ankle fractures do require surgical care. Screws and metal plates are used to accurately realign the fractured bone.

It takes at least six weeks for the broken bones to heal and may take longer for the involved tendons and ligaments to heal. Rehabilitation is very important for this injury. Physical therapy and home exercise programs done regularly is key to healing.



There are many injuries to the Achilles tendon that can require surgery. Achilles Tendinitis or tendinosis, Tendinopathy, a ruptured Achilles tendon, or a wound such as a cut or blow, might require surgery.

Each of these injuries are serious and will most likely require surgery. However, all conservative treatment options such as rest, immobilization, orthotics, ice application, anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, prp and cortisone injections, will be taken before considering surgery.

Surgery for these injuries can consist of removing the damaged part of the tendon, lengthening of the tendon, or moving where the tendon is attached.

Most Achilles tendon surgeries will begin to heal after the fourth week and physical therapy usually starts at the sixth week after surgery. After surgery, make sure you do not bear any weight on the affected leg. Resting and elevating your leg will both help the healing process and make your life a bit more comfortable.



Be sure to watch out for discoloration, numbness in the toes, and excessive swelling. If you have any of these symptoms post surgery, be sure to contact your podiatrist.

Flat feet or fallen arches can be something that you are born with, or it could be a result of over-use. Fallen arches usually occur when the tendon and ligaments that hold the arch in place are stretched too far. As you age, these tendons and ligaments lose the ability to maintain the arch and even begin to tear.

If you have fallen arches, you will feel pain in the heel, arch, ankle, and may even feel pain running up your leg. To treat a fallen arch, conservative treatment includes immobilization, anti-inflammatory drugs, and orthotics.

There are many different types of surgeries that can be done for a fallen arch. Some move the bone structures in order to give you that arch you are lacking.

Healing time varies based on what surgery is performed. However, the usual healing time is usually between six to eight weeks. The more complex the surgery is, the longer it will take to heal.