Summary
Emma had intense leg and foot pain from childhood. Walking, running and the normal things children do were very difficult for her. In this video, podiatrist Dr. Randy Lew explains how he treated her.
When Emma first came to his office, she had a lot of foot pain, especially when walking, and couldn’t walk far or stand for long. On examination, Dr. Lew found a severe flat foot deformity.
Treatment started conservatively: orthotics and physical therapy for Achilles stretches. When those didn’t relieve her pain, they decided to reconstruct the flat foot.
Dr. Lew describes two parts of the reconstruction. In the Evans procedure, a cut is made through the heel bone (calcaneus) and an implant is added to lengthen the outer side of the foot, which helps bring the foot back into a better position. A second cut at the back of the heel bone lets the heel be moved back underneath the leg (tibia), for a more anatomic position.
Emma says Dr. Lew treated her like a friend, not just another patient. She says she is in much less pain, is still recovering, can walk much more than before, and that the surgery may be the best thing that ever happened to her.
Key takeaways
- A severe flat foot can cause foot and leg pain and make walking and standing difficult.
- Treatment usually starts with orthotics and physical therapy.
- When those don’t work, reconstructive surgery may be considered.
- The reconstruction described includes lengthening the outer side of the foot with an implant (the Evans procedure) and repositioning the heel bone.
Questions Dr. Lew answers
How was Emma’s flat foot treated at first?
With orthotics and physical therapy for Achilles stretches.
When is surgery considered?
In Emma’s case, when conservative treatment didn’t relieve her pain.
What does flat foot reconstruction involve?
Dr. Lew describes lengthening the outer side of the foot by cutting the heel bone and adding an implant (the Evans procedure), and a cut at the back of the heel bone to move the heel back underneath the leg.
