Minimal Incision Surgery

Thousands of men and women spend a good bit of their lives agonizing over painful feet, trying one home remedy after another, but, for whatever reasons, refusing to see a doctor.

Your inquiry regarding Minimal Incision Surgery (MIS) might mean you've had enough. You've decided to stop limping through life; soaking, rubbing and wiggling your feet in an effort to find even temporary relief.

Minimal Incision Surgery is a time-honored technique which your podiatric physician usually performs in his office. In most cases, patients are not immobilized after undergoing MIS, the recovery period is dramatically shortened and pain is minimized. Very frequently, patients walk out of their podiatric physician's office wearing the same shoes they wore in.

Unlike surgery performed in a hospital, MIS requires a very small incision. Specially designed instruments are used to correct the problem, whether bunions, hammertoes, calluses, corns, warts, foot malfunction or a host of painful ailments. Because the incision is tiny, stitches are frequently not required. You may be advised to keep your foot elevated-or soak it--for a short period of time after surgery. Time lost to recuperation, however, is minimized.

Nearly 2000 foot surgeons who specialize in this technique are members of the Academy of Ambulatory Foot Surgery. They are located in all 50 states, Canada and in Australia and Europe.

Of course, MIS is recognized by major insurance carriers, as well as health care and governmental regulators.

It's time you sought relief by making an appointment with a podiatric physician who is highly trained and qualified to perform Minimal Incision Surgery.

It's a decision you will not regret.

The Academy of 
Ambulatory Foot Surgery

CO₂ Laser Surgery

Depending upon your own particular foot condition, your doctor may recommend the use of a carbon dioxide (C0₂) surgical laser in treatment. Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about laser surgery

What is a laser? 
A laser is a device that generates an intense beam of light-light that's man-made and not known to occur in nature.

What does a surgical 
laser do? 
A surgical laser beam can cut or vaporize tissue almost instantaneously. It is so precise that the surrounding tissue is hardly affected. And the beam sterilizes and seals blood vessels as it cuts, so there's less bleeding, less post-operative pain and less chance of post-operative infection than with conventional surgical tools.

Is laser surgery a new technique?
Not at all. Lasers have been used for over 15 years in many different kinds of surgery. Today, the technology is used for everything from removal of tonsils to treatment of infertility. Laser use in podiatry is now quite common.

Will I have to be hospitalized?
Laser surgery can often be performed in the office; and that's the case with many foot procedures. In fact, you may be able to walk out of the office as soon as the procedure's complete.

Is the laser like x-ray?
No. There is no ionizing  radiation present in the laser beam.

Does pregnancy preclude laser surgery?
No. In fact the laser allows some conditions, which could not safely be treated in other ways, to be treated during pregnancy.

Will my insurance cover laser surgery?
Insurance companies recognize the benefits of laser surgery; so many laser surgery procedures are covered.

Read Dr. Cernis' article on Laser Surgery...  Go there