Minimally invasive foot surgery – often called ‘keyhole surgery’ – has been in existence for decades and has now developed into a tried and proven category of surgical practice.

Benefits of minimally invasive surgery

Keyhole surgery allows for less trauma to the surrounding tissues, this in turn produces less swelling and less pain. This ultimately leads to decreased painreduced complications and quicker recovery.

The surgery is carried out as a day surgery case and you can walk on the foot immediately after leaving the day hospital. Avoiding overnight stays in hospital allows us to decrease the problems that can occur with hospitilisation, plus keep costs down.

Who can carry out minimally invasive surgery?

Minimally invasive surgery requires specialised training. It is additional training following on from a preceding surgical fellowship, such as podiatric surgery. Damien Lafferty has undertaken and completed his training with The Academy of Minimally Invasive Foot and Ankle Surgery. This organisation has over 2000 members and has been training specialists for decades. It is this specialised training that allows Damien to carry out the surgery safely and expertly.

Is minimally invasive surgery appropriate for everyone?

Minimally invasive surgery is applicable to many foot conditions, however in certain situations this type of surgery is not appropriate. During the initial assessment a decision will be made and a discussion will be occur to ensure you are comfortable with what is planned. Even if minimally invasive surgery is not appropriate all surgery has markedly improved and incisions are very small.

An example of the small drill used in minimally invasive foot surgery

Complications

Complications are much less likely now in all aspects of foot surgery, however it must always be borne on mind that a surgical intervention has been carried out and complications can still occur. These may include infection, delays in healing, increased and unexpected pain, increased swelling, scarring and return of the deformity. In some rare situations the problem may end up worse.  This will be discussed with you before the surgery.