A foot surgeon, also known as a podiatric surgeon is a specialist that performs surgical procedures on patient’s feet, ankles and periodically; the lower leg. For one to become a foot doctor he or she must complete four years of college, then go on to medical school which is followed a residency program in podiatric surgery. It is true that some surgical procedures can be carried out by other surgeons; a foot surgeon in Chicago IL however has the specialized training and the unique surgical skills that greatly improve the outcome.
A podiatrist is a doctor that specializes in disorders of patients lower extremities; the feet, ankles and lower leg. Conditions that can cause problems in this area are diabetes, a congenital condition that has caused a malformation as well as trauma. Although a podiatric surgeon can deal with all problems associated with these areas, many tend to focus their practice on a specialty such as sports related injuries, lower leg problems caused by poor circulation or pediatric care. No different than many medical specialties, podiatry is closely aligned with podiatric surgery. This coupling of skills ensures the patients that they can get the best medical care from a doctor that has been trained in both podiatry and podiatric surgery.
A foot surgeon in Chicago will carry out the necessary procedures in a hospital or clinic. The procedures include reconstruction, repair and taking corrective action on the feet and ankles. The surgical procedures can vary between severe bunions to feet which have been badly broken. A podiatric surgeon uses a wide variety of approaches to the surgical challenges he or she is faced with and they have a great number of tools that they use to evaluate the condition of the patient prior to surgery.
A foot surgeon does not work exclusively in an operating theatre; the surgeon is often an integral part of care teams that helps the patient deal with and manage an ongoing condition. For example, once surgery has been completed the surgeon may suggest that the healing process will be accelerated if the patient were to wear corrective shoes or they may work side-by-side with another medical professional who is dealing with the condition that led to the need for podiatric surgery in the first place. During the course of a typical day a foot surgeon in Chicago will see and identify the early signs of conditions which if not treated can lead to major problems that will lead to surgical intervention.