Bunion & Foot Surgery - Podiatrist in San Diego

Foot Surgery

Foot surgery may be appropriate to alleviate chronic pain or foot deformities and to restore function to the foot. The doctors at SoCal Foot Care are board certified foot surgeons on staff at Scripps Encinitas Hospital and UCSD Center for Surgery of Encinitas. They maintain expertise in the most up-to-date surgical techniques.

Dr. Berenter Is the chief of the podiatric division, Department of Orthopedics at Scripps Memorial Hospital. He graduated number one in his class as the Valedictorian of the California College of Podiatric Medicine. He is a Board-Certified Podiatric surgeon and has performed thousands of bunion surgeries over the years. He strives to provide the most effective, safe, and compassionate care for all of his many patients. To learn more about Dr. Berenter, his support staff, and the office itself, please see About Us.

Looking for Relief from Bunion Pain?

Bunions and discomfort go hand-in-hand and can truly affect the quality of life for those who suffer from this progressive disorder. Dr. Berenter is able to treat and eliminate bunions for his patients with a virtually pain-free bunion technique that he has developed. Without treatment, bunions can limit normal foot function and often continue to grow more painful over time. Visiting Dr. Berenter are at the first sign of bunion formation can minimize and prevent future problems and often times can be treated conservatively before they become painful.

What is the Surgical Procedure?

Utilizing the most advanced techniques, utilizing the most advanced techniques, Dr. Berenter is able to restore natural foot function and eliminate the pain from bunions. Using a combination of intravenous sedation and local anesthetic,( NO general anesthetics needed), the painful bunion is removed through a small incision made on the side of the foot. This eliminates the problems with unsightly scars. The joint is realigned and the bone repositioned and secured in place with an ABOSRBABLE screw that dissolves. This eliminates any hardware that is typically left in the foot and can require future surgery, thus simplifying the procedure and eliminating many of the complications that used to be associated with it.

How long does the Surgery Take?

While the surgery itself takes under one half an hour, patients can expect to be in the operating room between 40 and 45 minutes and approximately three hours in the surgery center total.

How long will it take to recover from surgery?

On the day of surgery patients are able to walk right away with the use of a special postoperative shoe or boot. Because of the special nerve block technique that Dr. Berenter has developed, the surgical foot will remain numb for up to 48 hours. Patients are able to get up and go to the bathroom and get something to eat immediately and limited activities encouraged for the first 3 to 4 days. The use of crutches is not necessary for most patients. Physical activity such as a stationary bike can begin within 3 to 4 days and swimming after two weeks once the sutures have been removed. The specialized postoperative shoe is worn for approximately four weeks at which time patients can begin to wear comfortable flat shoes and typically rigorous exercise like running can be resumed in about six weeks. Most patients return to work within a few days and experience little disruption to their normal routines.

Will my insurance cover the procedure?

In most cases, insurance covers bunion surgery and most podiatric surgeries. Dr. Berenter’s support staff is happy to work with you to determine approximate out-of-pocket expenses both with insurance coverage and without. Our goal is to make the process as seamless and easy as possible.

Hammertoes

Early symptoms such as pain or irritation, corns, calluses, inflammation, or redness can typically be managed on a conservative basis. However left untreated, over time the hammertoe becomes less flexible and more rigid and is less likely to respond to nonsurgical treatment. Most hammertoes are caused by biomechanical abnormalities that are genetic in nature.

When should I seek treatment?

Hammertoes are progressive disorder and unfortunately will not go away by themselves. The imbalance that causes hammertoes leads to actual biomechanical changes in the structure of the foot over time and therefore the sooner you seek treatment the better. Dr. Berenter will evaluate your foot and depending on the degree of deformity, develop a treatment plan best suited for your individual needs.

Hammertoe Surgery

Unfortunately in some cases the hammertoe advances to the point that patients are unable to wear any closed toed shoes comfortably. Surgery is often necessary to alleviate the pain and deformity associated with hammertoes. Hammertoe surgery is done on an outpatient basis under local anesthetic with intravenous sedation and is typically a 15 to 20 minute procedure.

Dr. Berenter has pioneered the technique that uses ABSORBABLE pins that remain entirely within the bone and do not protrude from the foot. For over 20 years he has eliminated the need for any metal to be left in the foot when correcting hammertoes. Dr, Berenter’s special techniques reduces post operative pain, reduces the risk of infection and speeds in the recovery from hammerote surgery. Patients are able to walk immediately following the surgery with the use of a simple postoperative shoe.

As always please feel free to contact the office if you have any further questions in regards to hammertoe surgery or any other surgical procedure. Our staff is available and willing to help at any time to answer any questions in regards to the surgery itself, insurance issues, and other alternative treatments.

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