Maneuvering through America’s healthcare system can be quite confusing sometimes. This is especially true when you are faced with choosing a specialist to address your specific need.
We have written this article to try and help you understand what a Podiatric Surgeon is, and what they can do to help you with your foot and ankle conditions.
A Podiatrist is a doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM) who is able to diagnose and treat all conditions of the foot and ankle.
According to Wikipedia, Podiatric surgery (or foot surgery) is a specialist field within the podiatric profession.
And according to the American Podiatric Medical Association, Podiatrists, podiatric physicians, and podiatric surgeons are all terms used to describe doctors of podiatric medicine.
Podiatric surgery is defined as the surgical treatment on the foot, ankle, and lower extremities, of conditions that affect these areas of the body. This is performed by accredited and qualified podiatrists.
A podiatric surgeon’s main job is to ensure continued functionality of the foot, ankle, and lower extremity areas. They do this with surgical solutions that fix the foot and ankle bones, muscles, and joints.
Podiatric surgeons can specialize in specific areas of the foot and ankle and/or specific types of surgery on the foot and ankle, such as minimally invasive surgery or full reconstructive surgery.
The amount and type of surgeries performed by podiatric surgeons can vary based on training, experience, and personal preference.
Podiatric surgeons can earn board certification with advanced training and passing a thorough exam. They can become certified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery, and the American Board of Podiatric Medicine.
According to Methodist Hospital for Surgery, an orthopedic surgeon can treat all areas of the body, while a podiatrist focuses specifically on the foot and ankle.
The Orthopedist is going to treat the bones, soft tissue, and joints, while the podiatrist will manage all of these, in addition to the dermatology and biomechanics of the foot and ankle.
While there training is similar, the Orthopedist focuses on the entire body, and the podiatrist focuses on specializing in just the foot and ankle.
Dr. Meyer of the Methodist Hospital for Surgery recommends choosing a podiatrist over an orthopedist when it comes to specific treatments of the foot and ankle.
He says that an orthopedist is likely more adept at treating the knees, shoulders, and hips as opposed to the foot and ankle.
Are you suffering from a foot and/or ankle condition that may require the specialized care of a podiatric surgeon?
All of our podiatrists are board certified in foot and ankle surgery, and offer the finest care to all of our patients.
If you would like to schedule an appointment to see a podiatric surgeon, please call 301-937-5666 or click here to submit your request online.
