Ankle Fusion Surgery | Dr. Kevin Lam #toppodiatrist #footsurgeon

 

Foot pain can significantly impact daily life, making even simple tasks challenging. When conservative treatments like medication, physical therapy, and orthotics fail to alleviate severe ankle pain, ankle fusion surgery may be considered. This procedure involves fusing the bones of the ankle joint to eliminate motion and provide stability. By doing so, it can effectively reduce pain and improve function for patients with arthritis, deformities, or severe injuries. While the recovery process involves several weeks of immobilization and physical therapy, many patients find that the long-term relief and enhanced quality of life are well worth the effort.

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About 7 months out, we had a mini arthrotomy surgery arthrodesis for  ankle arthritis. Okay.

So the mini arthrotomy is on either side right here, making a low cut so we don't make a big incision

and just clean it all out, took some bone graft from here to stick it in there, the screws you saw is a tripod screw

So one, two, and three tripod screw.

So everything is good now. 

Before surgery, how much pain did you have, sir?

"A ten, a lot of times"

A ten, okay.

"It got to where I couldn't walk at all"

Got it, got it.

"I just stay home" [laughs]

But now, how much pain do you have now?

"None"

So now your wife has to keep up with you now, right?

"Yeah"

The opposite. Okay, good stuff.

It looks really good. It actually looks awesome.  I don't have to see you for 6 months now, but everything healed up great.

Are you happy with it?

"Yes"

Ten to zero.

"Oh yeah. Pain is gone, that's all I was after"

Well, congratulations

The ankle fusion -- move the ankle around.

Now you won't even know you had an ankle fusion.

Because people are always confused,

they think it's going to be stiff legs

Not true.

The ankle fusion is there, solid but your joint movement is from the other joints

around the ankle and I think you're going to do well

So I think we're doing good. Awesome.

So the ankle fusion is this joint right up here, right?

He's getting motion out of the subtalar joint as well as talonavicular and the calcaneocuboid joint

All these other joints around there are moving very well

but you're seeing a lot of motion through here 

because we locked up the ankle.

Well, before he was having ankle arthritis, right?

So he was having a lot of pain right here

Locked that up with a fusion with screws.

A lot of people don't understand that --

-- or they think that the ankle fusion 

is going to really limit you

Actually it increases your life.

I mean, this person had 10 out of 10 pain

Now the patient is going on one mile walks

walking the dog, walking with the wife.

So it makes a huge difference

Yes we do total ankle implants but they're

I will say for a limited amount of patients

but the ankle fusion is still the gold standard guys.

So here you go. Thank you.

Case of Severe Flat Feet

 

Case of severe flat feet.

Yes we can fix them. Grateful, humbled.

Dr. Kevin Lam, D.P.M., FACFAS, DABLES, DABPS

Rigid equinus from residual club foot

 Mission work from St. Lucia. Rigid equinus from residual club foot. Patient was brought over by a missionary to seek help in the USA. "God, brought her to you, he said." Humbled and happy that this young lady is now leading a good life back home able to walk and now has a family of her own. Prior she was not able to take care of herself, we take for granted the ability to walk @footlegcenter Sometimes we forget with all the insurance regulations and prior authorizations that our skill is needed in this world. AI is not taking this over.