Surgery, nerve care & limb salvage
Foot and ankle surgery
Reconstructive, minimally invasive and arthroscopic surgery, fracture care and limb preservation.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Efe Ozturk · Last reviewed
When surgery is considered
Surgery is considered when pain or deformity limits your daily life and appropriate non-surgical treatment hasn’t helped, or when an injury needs it (an unstable fracture or a ruptured tendon, for example), or to protect a foot at risk, as in diabetic foot infections and Charcot foot. The decision is made with you, after a clear explanation of what the operation can and can’t do, the recovery, and the risks.
Surgery we perform
- Reconstructive surgery to restore alignment and function: bunions and big-toe arthritis, hammertoes, flatfoot and high-arched foot, and joint fusions for arthritis.
- Minimally invasive surgery, performed through small incisions for selected bunion and forefoot problems. For bunions, a meta-analysis found no clinically important difference in outcomes between minimally invasive and open surgery, so the choice rests on your foot and the procedure.[1]
- Ankle arthroscopy, using a small camera and instruments passed through tiny incisions to treat problems inside the ankle joint, such as impingement, loose bodies and cartilage injuries.[2]
- Tendon and ligament surgery: Achilles and peroneal tendon repair, and ankle ligament reconstruction for chronic instability. For acute Achilles ruptures, randomized trials found open and minimally invasive repair gave similar function.[3]
- Fracture and trauma surgery for ankle, foot and toe fractures and dislocations. See fractures and trauma.
- Diabetic limb preservation: draining infection, removing infected bone, correcting deformities that cause ulcers, and Charcot reconstruction. See Charcot foot and wound care.
- Cartilage and joint-preserving surgery. See cartilage repair.
Operations in depth
The Center for Lower Extremity Surgery is the surgical practice of Ozturk Foot & Ankle: the same Foot & Ankle Surgeon, the same three offices and the same phone number, 908-215-5953. Its guides explain who each operation suits, how it is done and what recovery looks like.
- Toes and forefoot: bunion surgery (external site), minimally invasive bunion surgery (external site), hammertoe surgery (external site), big-toe arthritis (hallux rigidus) surgery (external site) and minimally invasive foot surgery (external site).
- Ankle: ankle ligament reconstruction (external site), ankle arthroscopy (external site) and ankle cartilage repair (external site).
- Tendons: Achilles tendon surgery (external site), Haglund’s deformity surgery (external site), peroneal tendon surgery (external site) and gastrocnemius recession (external site).
- Reconstruction: flatfoot reconstruction (external site), high-arched (cavus) foot surgery (external site) and joint fusion and replacement (external site).
- Fractures: fracture surgery (external site) and Lisfranc surgery (external site).
Your health and surgical risk
Healing after foot and ankle surgery depends on your overall health. Diabetes, especially with neuropathy or poorly controlled blood sugar, and smoking raise the risk of infection and wound problems after surgery, so we work with your other physicians to prepare.[4,5]
Common questions
Will I be asleep for the operation?
It depends on the operation and on you. Many foot and ankle operations use a nerve block that numbs the foot and leg, often with sedation or a general anesthetic; blocks also control pain for hours afterward and reduce the need for opioids, which helps people go home the same day.[6] The anesthesiologist goes through the options with you before surgery.
How should I prepare?
Stop smoking, since it raises the risk of wound and healing problems, and if you have diabetes, work with us and your physician to bring your blood sugar under good control before surgery.[5] Plan for help at home and a way to get around without putting weight on the foot if your operation requires it. The Center for Lower Extremity Surgery has a full guide to preparing for foot and ankle surgery (external site).
How long is the recovery?
It ranges from a few weeks in a surgical shoe after a small forefoot procedure to several months after a reconstruction or fusion. We give you a written timeline for your operation before you decide, covering weight-bearing, work, driving and sport.
Second opinions
If you’ve been told you need foot or ankle surgery, or had surgery that didn’t go as hoped, a second opinion can confirm the diagnosis and look at every option, including non-surgical ones.
When to seek care
In depth at our specialty practices
Same physician, same offices, same phone number. These guides go further into the specialist side of this topic.
- Foot and ankle surgery proceduresCenter for Lower Extremity Surgery (opens the Center for Lower Extremity Surgery website)
- Minimally invasive foot and ankle surgeryCenter for Lower Extremity Surgery (opens the Center for Lower Extremity Surgery website)
- Ankle arthroscopyCenter for Lower Extremity Surgery (opens the Center for Lower Extremity Surgery website)
- Recovery after foot and ankle surgeryCenter for Lower Extremity Surgery (opens the Center for Lower Extremity Surgery website)
- Smoking, diabetes and healing after foot surgeryCenter for Lower Extremity Surgery (opens the Center for Lower Extremity Surgery website)
- Limb salvage surgery for the diabetic footLimb Salvage Institute
Where to be seen
Dr. Ozturk sees patients at each of these offices, and one phone number reaches all of them.
References
- 1.Alimy AR, Polzer H, Ocokoljic A, Ray R, Lewis TL, Rolvien T, et al. Does Minimally Invasive Surgery Provide Better Clinical or Radiographic Outcomes Than Open Surgery in the Treatment of Hallux Valgus Deformity? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2023;481(6):1143-1155. PubMed 36332131 (external site)
- 2.Hermena S, Bergman R, Dalgleish S. Ankle Arthroscopy. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; updated 2025. PubMed 40991763 (external site)
- 3.Attia AK, Mahmoud K, d'Hooghe P, Bariteau J, Labib SA, Myerson MS. Outcomes and Complications of Open Versus Minimally Invasive Repair of Acute Achilles Tendon Ruptures: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Am J Sports Med. 2023;51(3):825-836. PubMed 34908499 (external site)
- 4.Wukich DK, McMillen RL, Lowery NJ, Frykberg RG. Surgical site infections after foot and ankle surgery: a comparison of patients with and without diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2011;34(10):2211-3. PubMed 21816974 (external site)
- 5.Wukich DK, Crim BE, Frykberg RG, Rosario BL. Neuropathy and poorly controlled diabetes increase the rate of surgical site infection after foot and ankle surgery. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2014;96(10):832-9. PubMed 24875024 (external site)
- 6.Pascarella G, De Quattro E, Strumia A, Del Buono R, Gargano F, Ruggiero A, et al. Perioperative Analgesia for Foot and Ankle Surgery: A Comprehensive Review. J Clin Med. 2025;14(17). PubMed 40944059 (external site)
This is general health information and isn’t a substitute for advice from a clinician who knows your history. Read our medical disclaimer and how we write and review content.
Keep reading
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Bunions
A bony bump at the base of the big toe: shoe changes and padding first, surgery when pain limits daily life.
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Fractures & trauma
Broken ankles and feet, stress fractures and other injuries, from a walking boot to surgery when it’s needed.
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Arthritis
Worn, stiff, painful joints: shoes, bracing and injections first, and fusion or replacement when needed.
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