Why is foot surgery complicated?

Often, patients who seek treatment for foot pathologies immediately assume they want surgery and that all their problems will be solved afterward. And just as often, we try to offer them conservative treatment methods. The question arises, why? The answer is not that simple.

While the foot may seem like a small part of the body, it actually contains an extremely complex structure, composed of many bones, joints, muscles, and nerves. This, along with its function of supporting the entire body's weight, means that surgical procedures in this area require a high level of skill and a long recovery period.

COMPLEX ANATOMY

The foot is one of the most complex parts of the human body. It contains 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. All these components work together to ensure movement, balance, and strength. Due to such an abundance of anatomical parts, we, orthopedists, need exceptional precision to ensure that no structure is damaged during surgery. Moreover, each bone in the foot is interconnected, so all corrective surgeries cause changes not only in the operated area.

SUPPORTING BODY WEIGHT

The foot is the part of the body that carries the weight of our entire body every day. Therefore, the postoperative regimen is extremely important! If postoperative healing does not proceed properly, a person may have difficulty walking, experience pain, or even lose foot functionality. In short, without adhering to the proper regimen, things can be just as bad or even worse after surgery than before. Therefore, it is very important for the patient to understand this.

SLOW HEALING

The foot is a part of the body that is extremely difficult to protect from stress after surgery. Even after a successful surgical intervention, it is often difficult to completely offload the foot, as movement is essential for a person. For this reason, the healing process can take longer than in other parts of the body, and unsuccessful healing can lead to complications such as infections, scar tissue formation, or foot deformities. When talking about healing, it is also very important to mention blood circulation; if there is any impairment, the appropriateness of the surgery needs to be considered. One common problem is smoking. If a patient has been smoking for a long time, the foot's blood circulation is poorer, and surgery is not possible.

NERVE SENSITIVITY

The foot contains many nerves responsible for sensation and motor function. If one or more nerves are damaged during surgery, the patient may experience severe pain or even lose sensation in certain areas of the foot. The nerve branches in the foot are very small, so it is not always possible to visualize them well, which can lead to complications.

I don't mean to say that foot surgery is impossible. Far from it! There are situations where surgery is necessary, but there are also situations where we can try conservative treatment of foot pathologies, especially when the problem is not long-standing. Therefore, it is very important to take care of your foot health and consult an orthopedic traumatologist in time. Often, we can apply rehabilitation procedures, exercise therapy, various orthopedic braces or insoles, thus avoiding or at least delaying surgical treatment.

And before surgery, it is important to understand that complications can occur and that healing will definitely take time. However, after successful surgeries, when patients cooperate with us and have appropriate expectations, we can achieve very good results!

Most importantly, when planning surgery, talk to your doctor, raise all your concerns, and decide on the treatment strategy together.