A podiatric surgeon is a surgical specialist who specializes in foot, ankle, and lower leg surgery. Podiatric surgeons are also referred to as “foot and ankle surgeons” due to their area of expertise. To become a podiatric surgeon, a doctor must first complete podiatric medical school, then a residency in podiatric surgery, and finally a fellowship to learn advanced surgical techniques. While other surgeons can perform some of the procedures performed by a podiatric surgeon, podiatric surgeons have specialized training and skills that greatly improve patient outcomes.
Podiatrists specialize in disorders of the lower extremities, such as damage caused by chronic conditions like diabetes, foot and ankle trauma, and congenital malformations. A podiatric surgeon may choose to specialize in a particular area of interest, such as sports injuries, circulation-related damage to the lower legs, or pediatric medical issues. Podiatry is paired with a surgical specialty, podiatric surgery, as is the case with many medical specialties, to ensure that patients receive high-quality surgical care from someone who is both a surgeon and a podiatrist.
Podiatric surgeons can practice in both hospitals and clinics. They work on the feet and ankles, repairing, reconstructing, and correcting everything from severe bunions to badly broken feet that require surgery to stabilize. Podiatric surgeons, like other surgical professionals, take a variety of approaches to surgical challenges, and they use a variety of tools to assess patients prior to surgery, including physical examinations, medical imaging studies to visualize the inside of the foot and ankle, and patient interviews to discuss surgical options and outcomes.
A podiatric surgeon can be part of the care team that helps a patient manage an ongoing condition in addition to working in the operating room. Following surgery, the surgeon may recommend that the patient be fitted for specialized supportive shoes to aid healing, or the surgeon may collaborate with another health care provider to help a patient manage an ongoing condition that necessitated podiatric surgery. Podiatrists can also detect early signs of conditions that affect the feet and lower legs, allowing them to be treated before they become serious problems.
Many podiatric surgeons seek board certification from a professional body. Board certification protects patients by requiring medical professionals to adhere to a set of standards and enforcing those standards, as well as improving the quality of medical care and practice. Board certifying organizations frequently hold continuing education classes, sponsor conferences, and publish trade journals to keep their members informed about recent developments in the field and other topics of general interest to the medical community.