Question
Next week my brother is going to have surgery on his foot.  My brother has really bad flat feet and can not play sports like he used to.  The doctor said he is going to place a implant into his foot and realign a bone so it would work.  The doctor said he should be back to work in a week.  Can you give me more information about the surgery, risks, and recovery time.  It is hard to believe he would be back to work on Dec 4 after having surgery this Monday.

Answer
Kevin,

I will give you a link to a site to read the details.  The surgery is typically done through a smaller opening in the skin.  An implant is placed in an area known as the sinus tarsi.  This keeps the foot/arch from collapsing with the same severity prior to the surgery.  Each Dr. has their own protocol with this surgery and there are many different implants on the market.

It wouldn't be unusual to return in a week, however, some people require several weeks depending on the type of work they perform.  

Check out this site for general guidelines keeping in mind that these timeframes will vary.  Also, this site is showing a particular type of implant and your brother will likely have a different brand of implant.

http://www.hyprocure.com/index.html

Hope all goes well.

Sincerely,

Marc Katz, DPM
Advanced Podiatry
Tampa, FL
http://www.theTampaPodiatrist.com
http://www.TampaCryosurgery.com