There have been many advances in foot surgery over the years, with minimally invasive surgery (MIS) or keyhole surgery being one such modality.
The below before and after images are from a patient I recently performed surgery on. The left image is before, and the right is one-week post-operative. The patient is still in large compressive bandages/dressings at this stage.
Note the correction and note the lack of percutaneous K wires. All toes have had surgery, except the 5th, which was pain-free, and the only prosthesis (hardware) is a HammerFix that I utilised to arthrodese the 2nd PIPJ. It is made of a material called PEEK and cannot be seen on X-ray.
The patient has had minimal pain, and this commonly utilised modality has evidence to show it is effective.
I do, however, think MIS is overused, being used where it is not appropriate; this case shows how effective it can be with the correct choice of cases.
If you have any specific questions or would like to discuss similar cases, feel free to contact me.
Also read:
Minimally invasive fracture fixation
The problems with keyhole bunion surgery
(This content is intended for healthcare professionals only)