At Yurkanin Foot and Ankle Reconstructive Center, we strive to get you back on your feet as soon as possible. With this endeavor, we offer our patients minimally-invasive foot and ankle surgery. Minimally-invasive surgery uses smaller incisions, and has a faster recovery period with a decreased chance of complications.
Dr. Yurkanin prioritizes minimally-invasive foot and ankle surgery as her treatment approach when appropriate. If you suffer from bunions, deformities, chronic ankle instability, or an osteochondral injury, then you may be a candidate for minimally-invasive foot and ankle surgery. To determine if you qualify for minimally-invasive foot and ankle surgery, schedule a consultation with Dr. Yurkanin today!
Dr. Yurkanin provides the following minimally-invasive surgical procedures:
Bunions are painful bumps that can form atop the joints of your toes. If surgery is needed, Dr. Yurkanin’s approach to bunion surgery corrects bunions anatomically. This may be performed with, traditional screw fixation, plates or through a percutaneous (small incision) approach with a wire. In most cases, patients are able to walk immediately after surgery. If a wire is used to correct the bunion deformity, it is removed in the office within the first 3-4 weeks of the surgery.
Through the use of a single, tiny incision at the ankle, Dr. Yurkanin can access and repair the ankle ligaments, restoring stability with less postoperative pain and swelling. This procedure is ideal for chronic ankle sprains and ankle instability.
Using an ankle scope, Dr. Yurkanin places a lateral internal brace along the ankle ligament for additional support. This procedure is ideal for ankle sprains and instability. This is usually performed with an ankle scope which allows for almost immediate weight-bearing following the procedure. In the past, ankle ligament repairs would require 6-8 weeks of complete immobilization. With this procedure, patients are allowed to bear weight partially for the first two weeks following surgery and progress to full weight bearing within four weeks.
Used to treat Equinus which is a restricted ability to move the top of the foot upwards towards the leg, usually caused by tightness in the Achilles tendon or calf muscles (soleus muscle and/or gastrocnemius muscle). To alleviate the tightness in the calve, the gastrocnemius muscle is released using two small incisions on either end of the calve and inserting a plastic cannula. The cannula is the tube that allows the endoscope and necessary surgical tools to be used. Once the endoscope is entered, the gastrocnemius muscle can be released using a specialized blade. This will alleviate the tightness in the calve and restore upwards mobility in the ankle joint.
Used to treat Plantar Fasciitis, which occurs when the plantar fascia, or tissue on the bottom of the foot that extends from the heel to the toes, becomes inflamed and causes severe heel pain. To relieve pain caused by the plantar fascia, some of the bands of the fascia are release. This is done by making two small incisions on either side of the foot’s arch and inserting a plastic cannula. The cannula is the tube that allows the endoscope and necessary surgical tools to be used. Once the endoscope is passed, some of the bands of the plantar fascia are released using a special blade. This will alleviate heel pain in the plantar fascia and restore mobility to the bottom of the foot.
Used to repair tears in the plantar plate, Dr. Yurkanin will begin by making a small incision on the top of your foot over the affected toe. Next, she will access your plantar plate and repair the ligament by using special tools to suture the tear. Then, small holes will be drilled in the base of the toe bone (proximal phalanx) and the sutures will be passed through these holes to stabilize the bone and the ligament, thus restoring the toe to its proper alignment.
Although ankle joints support the majority of our body weight, their anatomical structure is unstable. Consequently, ankle sprains are the most common injury in America with 2 million cases annually.
