Foot and Ankle Surgery in Germany and Switzerland

When Does a Foot Doctor Recommend Foot Surgery?

Foot doctors advocate foot surgery for many different ankle and foot problems. If conservative treatment options are ineffective, symptoms not improving or infections not healing, foot specialist conduct foot surgery.

What is Foot Surgery?

Orthopedic foot surgery is a special branch of orthopedics and trauma surgery. It includes diagnosis and treatment of disorders and injuries to the feet, toes, and ankles. Therefore, a foot specialist is a doctor who specializes in the field of foot therapy. In contrast, there are non-medical foot specialists which are called podiatrists.

The most common diseases treated by foot specialists are:

• Toe deformations (hallux valgus)
• Hammer toe
• Claw toes
• Flatfoot
• Ankle arthritis
• Heel pain
• Achillodynia
• Rheumatism foot

Due to the feet’s complex nature, many other diseases requiring foot surgery exist.

Foot Surgery for Crooked Toes

Foot deformations should be treated surgically if crookedness is severe, foot pain appears or toes are displaced. The same is the case for problems causing functional maladies. The following foot deformities can be cured:

• Hallux valgus: Big toe is crooked
• Hammertoe: Middle joint of the big toe is bent upwards and the end joint downwards
• Claw toe: Hyperflexion of the dip joint
• Tailor's bunion: Crooked small toe squeezes against the adjacent fourth toe

Foot Surgery for Osteoarthrosis, Foot Malformations or Foot Pain

Arthrosis of the ankle or in the joints of the big toe as well as pain in the metatarsus and the so-called "heel spur" (painful bony retraction on the heel) can be treated surgically. In addition, foot malformations such as sickle or clubfoot, ingrown toenail or tumors can be repaired with an incision.

Foot Surgery for Foot Injuries

Foot specialists can also heal foot injuries through surgery. These fractures include broken bones on the tibia and fibula, tarsal bones, toe bones (phalanx), as well as metatarsal bone, heel and talus. In addition to typical bone traumas, tendon fractures (such as the Achilles tendon rupture), ligament injuries or nerve and joint injuries can fixed by foot surgeons.

How Do Foot and Ankle Specialists Perform Foot Surgery?

First of all, the treating foot doctor asks for the patient's medical history and anamnesis. This is followed by a physical examination which includes imaging techniques such as CTs, MRI, and X-rays. Before surgery is accomplished, blood samples are taken and examined in the laboratory. Depending on the type of injury or illness, doctors execute further diagnostic examinations as well.

If surgery is not necessary, conservative measures are taken for foot fractures, including the use of bandages or plaster casts for immobilization, cooling aid, pedicure, and movement exercises. With deformed toes, for example, pressure-exerting structures such as pads and wedges can help. The application of certain medications is beneficial as well.

If conservative treatment methods do not improve the condition or are not desired by the patient, surgery may also be performed under local or general anesthesia, depending on the nature and extent of the procedure. The foot surgeon also has the option of minimally invasive surgery by arthroscopy of the joint with small optical tubes (so-called "endoscopes"). During minimally invasive operations, deformities can be fixed by removing or correcting bones and tendons. On the other hand, transplants from other parts of the body can be used when larger parts of the foot stop functioning, as is the case with larger tumors, for example. If the ankle is too severely damaged, a prosthesis can be considered.

Are There Any Complications?

As with any surgical procedure, general complications such as major bleedings, after bleedings, infections, wound healing disorders or hematomas can occur. In addition, scars can develop, peripheral tissue can be destroyed, nerves and vessels can be injured, or paralysis and numbness in the affected area may arise. Restrictions in movement as well as postoperative foot pain can also appear.

Generally speaking, operational measures on the foot offer good chances of success. Foot doctors can relieve certain illnesses or injuries and reduce symptoms so that the patient can regain mobility. However, how well the healing process continues really depends on the individual patient.

Which Foot Doctors and Clinics in Germany or Switzerland are Specialized in Foot Surgery?

If a patient needs a doctor, he asks himself, “where can I get the best foot and ankle surgeon?” Since this question cannot be answered objectively and a reputable physician would never claim to be the best, patients can only rely on the physician’s experience. The more foot surgeries a foot doctor performs, the more capable he becomes in the field of orthopedics and traumatology and the better he gets in diagnosis and treatment of diseases or injuries to the feet, toes or ankles.

The so called D.A.F. (German Association for Foot and Ankle Joints e. V.) offers certification programs in foot surgery for orthopedists and trauma surgeons. It also declares hospitals as certified foot and ankle centers.

PRIMO MEDICO helps you to find an expert for your foot problem. All listed doctors and specialist clinics have been checked by us for their outstanding expertise in the field of foot surgery. They are awaiting your treatment request.

How Expensive is a Foot and Ankle Surgery in Germany or Switzerland?

For patients from abroad, the cost for foot treatment is strictly regulated by the German government (GOÄ Department). German physicians are not entitled to determine their own self-calculated fees for medical services. They are legally obliged to adhere to the official fixed tariff rates for doctors.

In order to calculate the price for a specific foot or ankle therapy in Germany or Switzerland, foot doctors and foot clinics first require detailed information on the specific foot problem. This data can be transferred to the hospital in form of medical reports, findings or images taken prior to treatment. The foot and ankle clinic then prepares a cost estimate. In most cases, the amount due must be paid ahead of the healing process.