Question
Hi.

Between alcohol injections and cryosurgery, which procedure has a better success rate and which do you think should be tried first?

If a neuroma is left untreated, will it grow and get worse?

Are treatments more likely to failure when a neuroma is larger?

Lastly, neither cryo nor alcohol are available in Canada so I'm thinking of flying down to your clinic if I try cryo. What would be the procedure if I came down to see you i.e. what to bring and how long of a wait to get an appointment.

Thanks,

Jeff


Answer
Hi Jeff,

I have not found Alcohol injections to be a good choice at the low concentrations that most Podiatrists use.  When using stronger alcohol, there can be serious tissue irritation and sometimes ulcers or abscess may occur.  If the alcohol does kill the nerve, you may develop a stump neuroma which is far more painful and complicated than the original neuroma.

I no longer use the Alcohol because of these issues.

Cryosurgery, has a higher success rate with less complications than surgical removal of the nerve.  It can be repeated without problems.  There is also no incidence of stump neuroma formation.

If you do have the cryosurgery, I would be sure that the Dr. uses a nerve stimulator to locate the nerve.  This will increase the success rate.

If you are interested in coming to Tampa you can call my office @ 813-875-0555.

I will caution you that there are no guarantees that you will get relief.  So you have to be willing to take that chance.  Also, some people may need the procedure repeated down the line. Cryosurgery is an excellent alternative to the traditional surgery, however, it has success and failure like anything else.  The nice thing is that there are rarely complications and rarely does anyone get worse.  You can't say that with other treatments.

Neuromas often do get worse if not treated.  I have found that if the neuroma is larger, you may need 2 treatments.

Sincerely,

Marc Katz, DPM
Tampa, FL
Advanced Podiatry
www.thetampapodiatrist.com
www.tampacryosurgery.com
www.fix-my-foot.com

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