Foot and Ankle Surgery in Stirling

You can see a specialist with extensive, specific knowledge on foot and ankle conditions quickly at Kings Park Hospital in Stirling.

Our Consultant Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons diagnose and treat various injuries, disorders and conditions of the foot and ankle, ranging from bunions to deformity correction.

Kings Park Hospital is geographically convenient, with accessible routes from the M10, A905 and A91. We can arrange an appointment at a time that suits you, whether during the day or in the evening.

Our foot and ankle surgeons are fellowship-trained, with decades of experience and specialist training in complex surgery. They are happy to answer any questions you have, explain any diagnosis in detail and provide advice around potential treatment options.

Foot and ankle surgery is a sub-speciality of orthopaedic surgery and deals with all ankle and foot conditions. The most frequent problems seen at Kings Park Hospital are:

• Foot pain
• Bunions (hallux valgus)
• Arthritis in the big toe (hallux rigidus)
• Sports injuries of the ankle and foot
• Heel pain (plantar fasciitis)
• Morton’s neuroma
• Flatfoot
• Achilles tendon problems
• Achilles tendinopathy (tendinitis)
• Foot and toe deformities
• Pain in the toe joints
• Ankle pain
• Ankle arthritis
• Ankle instability

Enormous technical advances have taken place in foot and ankle surgery in the last 15 years since it became a sub-speciality of orthopaedics. The sub-speciality has seen a sharper focus on accelerated recovery using advanced techniques that allow people to return to function more quickly. The outcome is much more predictable and more reliable than in times past.

Bunion surgery used to mean six weeks in plaster and a long recovery. Now it’s day-case surgery. There’s no need for plaster, just wound dressings, and because anaesthetists can provide nerve blocks, most patients wake up pain-free and have a quicker recovery.

It’s a similar story with ankle instability surgery. New implants to stabilise the ankle lead to much better recovery. Our foot and ankle surgeons can use an internal brace invented by a knee specialist at The Kings Park Hospital, an excellent accelerator for recovery. You can bear weight on the ankle straight away after surgery, so you return to your sport and activities quicker. It’s also a day-case operation.

Surgeons can also treat some advanced ankle arthritis with keyhole (arthroscopic) surgery, although open surgery may suit some patients better. Fusing the ankle used to be an extensive open operation requiring a couple of nights in hospital. It can now be done as day case keyhole surgery.

You can self-fund your treatment at Kings Park Hospital or access it through private medical insurance. We accept referrals from GPs, physiotherapists and podiatrists and see those wishing to self-refer.

Within a short time of your arrival at the hospital, your Consultant Foot and Ankle Surgeon will come and greet you and show you to a private consulting room.

They will make sure you are comfortable and will talk to you about your medical history, your specific concerns, how long you have been experiencing the problem and will likely carry out a physical examination of your foot and ankle.

You’ll get a face to face assessment of your condition, an explanation of your consultant’s diagnosis and the treatment options available to you.

If you require imaging, such as an x-ray, this can be done on-site at the same time as your initial appointment. Kings Park Hospital doesn’t have CT (computerised tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanning facilities. Should these scans be required, your consultant will arrange for you to have these scans at our sister hospital, The Ross Hall Hospital in Glasgow. You’ll return to Kings Park Hospital for any follow-up appointments with your consultant.

Your consultant may also make an onward referral to one of our physiotherapists if they feel it would be beneficial.

Once a diagnosis has been confirmed, your consultant will explain this in detail with you, and you will have the time to ask as many questions as you like.

If you and your surgeon agree that surgery is appropriate, they will go through all the pros and cons and give you time to think about how you would like to proceed. Should you agree to surgery on the day, they can provide you with some dates and then arrange for our theatre bookings department to get in touch with you to confirm.

Your consultant will provide you with their contact details to get in touch with them after you have had time to think about the treatment options or if you have any further questions.

The most common treatments at Kings Park Hospital are hallux valgus correction (bunion surgery) and ankle stabilisation surgery.

Bunion surgery involves removing bumps, resetting bones, and straightening toes. It is usually done as an open procedure under general anaesthetic and as a day-case, meaning you can go home later that day. 

Ankle sprains are often nothing to worry about, and physiotherapy may be all that’s required to stabilise the ankle. Should you experience repeated ankle sprains, you may benefit from ankle stabilisation surgery. This is when your surgeon tightens and strengthens the ligaments within your ankle. The surgery is done under general anaesthetic and as a day case procedure.

We also regularly see ankle arthritis, morton’s neuromas (a condition affecting the ball of the foot) and heel pain. For all these conditions, your consultant may advise steroid injections which they can do during your appointment. If steroid injections don’t work, surgery can then be performed.

Foot, ankle and toe pain can significantly impact your quality of life and make everything from walking the dog to playing your favourite sport difficult. You don’t have to live with the pain, and there are many treatment options that could help get you back to living life to the full.

Our leading Consultant Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons at Kings Park Hospital provide the best clinical care and are focused on achieving the best outcome for patients. You’ll be on the road to recovery fast, with many of the treatments we offer having an 80-95% success rate.

Our surgeons work closely with our physiotherapy teams to ensure you are provided with comprehensive care and to help you return to the activities you love rapidly.