Podiatric surgery in Bromley

You use your feet and ankles many thousands of times every day. Whether you’re sitting down in a chair, walking up the stairs or driving your car, your feet and ankles are heavily involved in making each of these movements and actions possible.

A foot and ankle together contain 28 bones, as well as a complex arrangement of ligaments, tendons, muscles and joints. These help to provide incredible function and mobility in the foot and ankle. Damage to any part of the foot or ankle – whether through trauma, disease or wear and tear degeneration - can have a significant impact on how easily we can move around.

At The Sloane Hospital in Beckenham, Kent, exceptionally experienced Consultant Foot and Ankle Surgeons provide treatment for a wide range of foot and ankle symptoms and conditions, from toe deformities and bunions to ankle arthritis and sports injuries. They would be delighted to help you too.

Problems can occur in the toes, forefoot, midfoot, hindfoot or ankle. Some of the common reasons people come to us for help are:

Toe & forefoot problems:    

• In-growing toenails
• Toe deformities
• Pain/stiffness in the big toe
• Forefoot pain
• Bunions
• Bursitis (inflamed bursa)
• Morton’s Neuroma

Midfoot & hindfoot problems:

• Midfoot pain
• Plantar fasciitis
• Achilles' tendonitis / tendon rupture
• Flat feet (“fallen arches”)
• High arch foot pain

Ankle problems:

• Ankle sprains
• Ankle pain and/or stiffness
• Ankle arthritis
• Instability in the ankle

If you have diabetes, you are more at risk of developing a foot problem. Diabetes can affect the blood and nerve supply to a foot, causing pain, numbness or weakness in the foot. This is known as peripheral neuropathy.

Whether you have any of the problems listed above or any other symptoms or concerns, our consultants can help you access the support you need.

Even though this page is about foot and ankle surgery, many foot and ankle conditions can be treated without the need for any surgery. Non-surgical (conservative) treatments can be very effective at relieving symptoms and resolving the problem.

Conservative treatments include:

• Advice about the best shoes to wear
• Weight-bearing with support and using aids such as boots and crutches
• Bracing or splinting of the foot or ankle
• Pain relief medication
• Physiotherapy
• Orthotics or inserts for your shoes to correct imbalances or structural problems
• Joint injections

If surgery is needed, this may be done by open surgery or by keyhole surgery (arthroscopy), where a small telescope is inserted into the joint through a tiny cut in the skin. As arthroscopy uses only very small cuts, pain and scarring is reduced and recovery is faster.

The foot and ankle specialists at The Sloane Hospital provide a wide range of treatments, from management of ingrowing toenails to complex hindfoot procedures, repair of fractures, joint fusions and even total ankle replacements.

Whether you require surgical or conservative treatment, your consultant will carefully tailor treatment to your specific condition and what would be best for you. They will discuss the treatment plan with you, explaining the benefits you should expect to see as well as any potential risks or complications. If you have any questions or concerns, they will be very happy to talk through them with you.

When you first visit with us, your consultant will take your medical history and ask you in detail about your symptoms.

They will carry out a physical examination of your feet and ankles and may ask you to stand on one leg at a time to assess stability and strength in the ankle.

Some ankle and foot problems can be caused by a problem in the knee or hip, so your consultant may examine the whole of your leg as well as your hip to check for problems such as poor alignment of the knee or arthritis in the hip.

This may be all that is needed to make a diagnosis and plan treatment. In other cases, additional investigations may be required to confirm a diagnosis or to determine the extent of any damage or disease within the foot or ankle.

This will often be an X-ray while you are standing, which helps show the bony architecture of the foot and ankle while weight-bearing. Ultrasound and MRI scans can also be extremely helpful, particularly when investigating soft tissues problems. These are all available on-site and are easily arranged for you if required.

Once the results of any investigations are back and a diagnosis has been made, your consultant will meet with you again to discuss suitable treatment options.

Many of our patients are from Beckenham and other parts of Kent, although easy train access from Central London means we also have a number of people choosing to travel to us from London for treatment.

People are referred to us by their GP, physiotherapist, osteopath, podiatrist or orthotist, while others are recommended to us by a friend or family member. A medical referral can be helpful, but you can self-refer to avoid delay.

We treat people with private medical insurance and those using a self-pay option. 

When you choose The Sloane Hospital for your foot or ankle treatment, you will benefit from:

• Fast access to a leading expert – Foot and ankle problems can be incredibly limiting and have a significant impact on your ability to move around freely and easily. The last thing you will want is to have a wait of weeks (or even months!) to see somebody. We can quickly and easily arrange an appointment for you with a highly experiencing consultant, so you will be able to get the help you need sooner. Undoubtedly want rapid access to treatment.
• Tailored treatment – A holistic approach is taken to treatment, and your consultant will always tailor treatment to your specific condition and needs. You will always see the same consultant, giving excellent continuity of care.
• Remote consultation – Foot and ankle consultations are routinely carried out in person at the hospital, but we can offer remote consultations via telephone or online video call if required.
• Teamwork - Your consultant is aided in their work by a number of other healthcare professionals including physiotherapists, radiologists, anaesthetists and radiologists. Fast, easy access to any member of this wider team means you will always see the most appropriate person for your needs at every stage of your treatment.
• Free parking on-site – Our car park is free for patients and visitors and has 20 spaces.

If you are struggling with any kind of problem in a foot or ankle, it is good to know that help is readily available. When you book a private appointment, your consultant will thoroughly investigate the cause(s) of your symptoms, diagnose the problem and explore treatment options with you. 

For peace of mind and known expert care for your foot or ankle problem, why not book your private consultation now?

We look forward to welcoming you to The Sloane Hospital and helping to get you out or pain and stiffness in your foot or ankle and back to better movement and function once again.