Expert help for foot or ankle conditions
Every time you weight-bear, your feet and ankle are actively engaged. Any problem in an ankle or foot can quickly cause a significant loss of mobility.
Damage from trauma, ‘wear and tear’ degeneration or disease can all affect the foot and ankle. Foot conditions like ‘flat feet’, bunions or ingrowing toenails are common, as are sports injuries to the ankle.
At The Shirley Oaks Hospital in Croydon, Surrey, our Consultants treat all foot and ankle conditions, helping to get people out of pain and back to better movement and function once again. Would you like them to help you too?
Located in Shirley Oaks Village on the outskirts of Croydon, our private hospital sees patients from South West London, East Surrey and beyond. People come to use from local areas such as Sutton, Banstead, Coulsdon, Purley and Wallington, as well as Warlingham, Kenley and Chipstead. We also see many patients from further afield. People travel to us to seek the expertise of our experienced consultants and to make the most of our great facilities and compassionate team of healthcare professionals.
The feet and ankles can also be affected by arthritis. The most common type is osteoarthritis, which causes the articular cartilage lining the joint surfaces to break down. The bones in the foot and ankle normally move smoothly against one another, but a breakdown of cartilage causes pain and stiffness in the joint. Given the large number of quite small bones contained in the foot, and the subsequent number of joints formed, osteoarthritis can have a particularly noticeable effect in both function and movement.
If you are diabetics, you are more at risk of developing a foot problem called peripheral neuropathy.
Whether you’ve injured your ankle while playing a game of football or you’ve noticed a lump appear on your foot, you may wish to see a doctor for expert assessment and guidance. The Consultant Foot and Ankle Surgeons at Shirley Oaks help manage and treat all foot and ankle conditions and would be delighted to help you.
They will carry out a thorough physical examination of your foot and ankle, moving it in certain ways as they assess the degree of movement, stability and flexibility you currently have in the joints. This will give them a good idea of the amount of any pain and/or stiffness and how it’s affecting your ankle and foot mobility.
Our imaging facilities include X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound, so if additional diagnostic tests are needed, they can easily be carried out within the hospital.
Once the results of any tests are back, your Consultant will discuss them with you and explain treatment options.
It’s important to know that not all causes of foot and ankle pain will require surgery. There are some very effective non-surgical treatments available that can help, including:
If non-surgical treatments are not able to provide you with suitable relief, or stop being effective, you may need surgery to treat the problem.
There are a number of surgical options for foot and ankle problems, from a type of keyhole surgery known as arthroscopy through to “open” surgery used to repair more serious fractures. Minimally invasive surgery is particularly useful within the foot and ankle and can help to reduce your recovery time.
Of particular note at Shirley Oaks is our minimally invasive bunion surgery. If you are thinking of bunions surgery and don't like the idea of the traditional open surgery with a prolonged recovery, Shirley Oaks Hospital is one of the few hospitals in the country to provide keyhole bunion surgery (also known as minimally invasive bunion surgery).
Taking under 30 minutes, this minimally invasive surgery doesn't require stitches and patients are able to walk immediately and go home the same day, with the ability to go to the gym the next day for non-impact activities and into stretchy training shoes at two weeks. Running can start at 6 weeks, when the bones have healed. Patients report quicker recovery with less pain, stiffness and swelling and an earlier return to quality of life compared to open surgery.
To learn more about this minimally invasive bunion surgery, please contact us to book your appointment.
Whatever type of surgery you need, your doctor will talk you through everything clearly so that you have the information you need to make an informed decision about whether to have surgery or not.
Many are referred to us from their GP, physiotherapist or podiatrist. Other have heard about us from family member and friends.
We treat patients with private medical insurance and those who choose a self-pay option.
When you have your foot or ankle treatment at The Shirley Oaks Hospital, you will benefit from:
If you’re worried about a foot or ankle problem, it’s reassuring to know that there are excellent surgical and non-surgical treatment options available for a range of injuries and conditions.
We are here to help you, so if you’re looking for private foot and ankle treatment in Croydon or the surrounding areas, please contact us to book your appointment.
