The foot and ankle can be prone to pain or arthritis. A complex area of the body, it can fast become negatively affected as a result of exercise, excess strain or day-to-day activities, such as gardening.
At The Lancaster Hospital, we offer a number of treatment modalities for the foot and ankle, to help people living with discomfort and pain live a more comfortable life.
Many ankle and foot disorders require specialist surgery – and some of the conditions our consultant orthopaedic surgeon can help with include sports injuries, such as ligament repair of the ankles, flat foot surgery, complex ankle and foot deformities, silastic joint replacement, ankle joint replacement and fusion of the ankle and foot.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the symptoms and treatment modalities for each of the above conditions.
Ligament Repair of the Ankles
Patients who visit The Lancaster Hospital for ligament repair of the ankles may be offered a treatment plan, which includes surgical intervention. This may mean you have to wear a cast or splint for two weeks or more. You may also be asked to rest your ankle as much as possible before and after any treatment offered.
Flat Foot Surgery
Patients with flat feet may present with symptoms including pain, stiffness, numbness or weakness. Some people, though, have flat feet and do not present with any symptoms.
Treatment for this condition may include medication, insoles or specialist support for your feet. Surgery is needed for flat feet when the measures outlined above do not work, especially in adult flat foot, where the foot was normal prior to a recent problem. This requires careful assessment and appropriate surgery.
Complex Ankle and Foot Deformities
People with complex ankle and foot deformities almost always need surgery, with some deformities of this kind being congenital. Treatment modalities will be discussed at your initial consultation.
Silastic Joint Replacement
A common treatment modality, silastic joint replacement for big and lesser toes can be offered at The Lancaster Hospital, if required – and again, this will be discussed during your initial appointment.
Total Ankle Replacement
The Lancaster Hospital offers state of the art, image-guided total ankle replacement as an alternative to ankle fusion, in appropriate cases for advanced arthritis. Our surgeon has experience of over 200 ankle replacements in the last 17 years.
Fusion of the Ankle and Foot
Our orthopaedic surgeon can talk to you about ankle and foot fusion treatment options, if required – and you will always be given plenty of time to consider the best route forward for you.
At The Lancaster Hospital, you may also choose to see our consultant orthopaedic surgeon for joint replacement of the toes, bunion surgery or ankle replacement – which is a major interest of our surgeon.
Shockwave therapy is also offered at Lancaster The Hospital, which our surgeon believes is not widely available in Lancaster itself.
Shockwave Therapy for Ankle and Foot Disorders
Those who are interested in learning more about how shockwave therapy might help their ankle or foot disorder can speak to our orthopaedic surgeon at The Lancaster Hospital.
It is not a surgery, as such; instead, it’s a treatment for the soft tissues – and for those who have an Achilles tendon problems, plantar fasciitis (heel pain), hamstring strain, or soft tissue hip pain, it can help dramatically. It is offered according to NICE-approved guidelines.
Used extensively within sports clubs, it can help people who are suffering, allowing them to get back on their feet within a reasonable timeframe.
Previously, for Achilles tendon problems, surgery would be offered; this, says our orthopaedic surgeon, would be major surgery, though, where the patient would be in a plaster cast for around six weeks, before moving on to physiotherapy treatments.
With shockwave therapy, though, the patient can benefit from the same improvement to their condition with just six to 10 short treatments of around 10 to 15 minutes each. If the treatment does not work, they can then consider surgery, but it is a good choice before major surgery, as it is not invasive.
Discovered during the Second World War, the treatment is used extensively in UK hospitals – and to great effect.
Some treatments which may be offered here at The Lancaster Hospital aren’t widely offered, with Lancaster being ‘possibly the only place in the north west’ to offer silastic joint replacement for lesser toes, says our foot and ankle surgeon.
Ours is an established foot and ankle service and our consultant is a supervisor/trainer for specialist orthopaedic registrars, meaning you – and your feet and ankles – will be in very safe hands.
Treatments and procedures are not just about improving symptoms, they can also help cosmetically.
Our clinic for foot and ankle treatment and surgery usually takes place on Thursday and Friday mornings, but it can vary.
When you visit The Lancaster Hospital for your consultation, our consultant orthopaedic surgeon will take a full medical history, before asking you about your symptoms and how they affect your day-to-day life.
You may be offered some diagnostic tests and treatment options – including medication, up to more invasive surgeries. These will be discussed with you to help you decide about how to proceed.
People travel to The Lancaster Hospital for treatment or surgery on the foot and ankle from a range of towns and cities, including in and around Lancaster itself.
The hospital is within easy reach of Galgate, Heysham, Morecambe, Carnforth and Bolton Le Sands, to name just a handful of areas in the Lancaster region.
It is also easy to get to from towns and cities within Lancashire, including Preston, Blackpool, Blackburn, Leyland, Chorley, Accrington, and more.
People may also visit The Lancaster Hospital from Cumbria and the South Lakes for a foot and ankle consultation or surgery.
With regard to foot and ankle surgery, The Lancaster Hospital offers state-of-the-art equipment and modern, clean facilities.
The hospital has great ward facilities – and if you are keen to book an initial appointment, we provide a wide range of consultant-led consultations.
Here are a handful of reasons why you might want to choose The Lancaster Hospital for foot and ankle surgery:
- Shorter waiting times – At The Lancaster Hospital, waiting times are always short, and appointment times are flexible to complement your schedule.
- Consultant-led appointments – Your foot and ankle consultation here in Lancaster will be consultant-led. You will see the same person each time, too – from your consultation, right through to any treatment or surgery needed.
- Patient satisfaction and personalised care – In 2020, 97.3% of our patients said they would recommend the hospital and its care, with the results compiled by independent agency, Quality Health.
- Remote consultations – If you’d prefer to speak to our consultant from the comfort of your home, you may be offered the chance to have a remote consultation, via a platform like Microsoft Teams.
- A multidisciplinary clinic – Our foot and ankle treatment team offer a multidisciplinary approach to your healthcare.
Want to make an appointment with our consultant orthopaedic surgeon here at The Lancaster Hospital? If so, simply call our friendly team on 01524 889502.
You can also book an initial foot and ankle appointment by using our handy online foot and ankle online booking system.
Content reviewed by Circle in-house team in October 2021. Next review due October 2024.
