Heel pain can be caused by many different conditions, some of them in combination. However, a very common cause of heel pain, plantar fasciitis, which can be treated very successfully with custom functional orthotics (better than 90% of the time in our practice), at times requires surgical intervention (that stubborn 10%). The old standard procedure has a history of potential complications that can lead to suboptimal results. This led to the development of the Endoscopic Plantar Fasciotomy (EPF), a truly elegant procedure.
After applying local anesthesia and, if needed, sedation, Dr. Dairman makes an incision on each side of your heel. These incisions are less than a centimeter long. Next, special instrumentation with a camera is introduced into the surgical area. This allows Dr. Dairman to watch the procedure on a nearby monitor. Dr. Dairman then operates on releasing the “tense” fibers of the fascia near the heel bone with a microblade (the spur, if you have one, does not need to be removed).
The procedure is done in under 30 minutes and patients are generally in regular shoes within one to two weeks and pain-free. Results may vary; however, this has not been our experience.
There really is no reason to suffer from chronic heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis that meets the criteria for this procedure. If you suffer from heel pain and conservative measures, including orthotics, heel cups and corticosteroid injections have not worked; this procedure may be for you. Call our office for an appointment today (757) 384-6611 or visit our website www.1Foot2Foot.com to request an appointment online. Your feet will thank you!
