Procedure Patient information forms
For general surgical detail and information from the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists (SOCAP), please refer to these downloadable leaflets:
Bunion Surgery
Hallux limitus / rigidus
High Arched or flat feet
Hammer toes etc
Corn / Verruca excision
Neuromas
Heel surgery - heel pain surgery
and heel bump information
Copies of more individual and condition specific patient information sheets are explained and issued to the patient at the time of the initial consult.
Health Care
The Day Surgery Unit has been inspected by the Healthcare Commission (HCC) in 2008 and has been certified. This is a significant indicator to all prospective patients as the Day Surgery Unit has passed inspection to the standards applied to an Acute Hospital.
The US perspective
For further reading and background information on surgical techniques, please refer to The American Podiatric Medical Association website - General patient information and Home page
Whilst this offers a very American overview, this information is relevant to the services available in England.
About the Day Surgery Unit
Quality of care
The Day Surgery Unit does not train surgeons. All of the surgery and clinical management is only performed by Consultant Podiatric Surgeons. Simply put, we do not use trainees at all. This is not the case in most hospitals.
When operating in the Day Surgery Unit, the principal surgeon is assisted in theatre by another surgeon; this usually means you will have two Consultant Podiatric Surgeons caring for the patient. Frequently it will be the assisting surgeon who will anaesthetise the foot or leg before going to theatre.
Pain relief
The patient's foot will be fully anaesthetised and the anaesthesia will be tested to the patients satisfaction before going to theatre.
Operation time
The patient will have plenty of opportunity to go to the toilet immediately before going into theatre and will most likely only be one hour in theatre.
The first night after the operation
All patients are given advice and medicines for any post operative discomfort following surgery. They are also given written key points to help make the recovery as easy and event free as possible. Also on the written post operative advice sheet are contact details so that the patient may talk to the surgeon at any time following the operation should the need arise.
It is our practice to contact the patient the next day to check if they experienced a comfortable first night.
