Surgery & nerve care
Peripheral nerve surgery
Nerve decompression, neuroma surgery, nerve repair, TMR and RPNI through our Lower Extremity Nerve Institute.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Efe Ozturk · Last reviewed
What the Nerve Institute treats
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome (external site): the tibial nerve trapped behind the inner ankle, causing burning, tingling or numbness in the sole.
- Morton’s neuroma (external site): a thickened nerve between the toes that feels like a pebble in the shoe.
- Other trapped nerves: Baxter’s nerve (external site) at the heel, the superficial peroneal nerve (external site) on the top of the foot, the deep peroneal nerve at the front of the ankle (anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome (external site)), and the common peroneal nerve at the knee (external site), which can cause foot drop (external site).
- Nerve pain after surgery or injury: painful neuromas (external site), painful scars (external site), cut nerves (external site) and nerve pain after knee replacement (external site).
- Pain after leg amputation (external site): phantom limb pain and painful neuromas in the residual limb.
Nerve surgery we perform
- Nerve decompression (external site): frees a nerve trapped in a tight space. In the foot and ankle the most common example is tarsal tunnel release (external site).[2] In a five-year study of tarsal tunnel syndrome, nearly four in five feet did well once release was added for those who needed it.[3]
- Morton’s neuroma surgery (external site): removing the affected segment of nerve, or relieving pressure on it. Across 35 studies of almost 3,000 people, surgery gave complete pain relief more often than injections.[4]
- Neuroma surgery (external site): treats a painful knot of nerve at an injured nerve end. In a pooled analysis of 1,150 neuromas, surgery gave good results in about 70%.[5]
- Nerve repair (external site), grafting (external site) and transfer (external site): reconnecting a cut nerve, bridging a gap, or borrowing a working nerve nearby.[6]
- Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) (external site) and RPNI (external site): give a cut nerve a muscle target to grow into, to treat or prevent neuroma pain. In a randomized trial after amputation, phantom limb pain improved more over time with TMR than with standard neuroma removal.[7,8]
- Joint denervation (external site): interrupts the small pain-carrying nerves of a knee or ankle that is structurally intact, after a test block shows clear relief.[9]
- Revision nerve surgery (external site) when an earlier nerve operation didn’t bring the relief you expected.
How we decide whether surgery will help
The evaluation starts with your history and an examination that traces the nerve, including tapping along its course. X-rays, ultrasound or MRI are added when they help, along with nerve testing (external site) and, often, a diagnostic numbing injection that shows whether that nerve is the source of the pain. A normal nerve-conduction test doesn’t rule out tarsal tunnel syndrome or make release less likely to help.[10]
Most people improve after nerve surgery, though not everyone, and nerve symptoms keep recovering for months. Decompression is not a treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy in general.[11,12] We explain the realistic result for your nerve before you decide.
Common questions
Is the Lower Extremity Nerve Institute a separate practice?
It is the nerve practice of Ozturk Foot & Ankle: the same Foot & Ankle Surgeon, the same offices in Lyndhurst, Paramus and Millburn, and the same phone number, 908-215-5953. Its website, nerveinstitutenj.com, has the detailed guides.
Do I need nerve surgery for burning or numb feet?
Usually not at first. Burning, tingling and numbness have many causes, and most start with non-surgical care. Our nerve pain page explains how we find the cause. Surgery is for a specific trapped or injured nerve that hasn’t responded.[1]
How long is recovery?
The incision usually heals in a few weeks. Nerve symptoms improve more slowly, often over several months, because nerves recover gradually.[11]
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.
- Tarsal tunnel release surgeryLower Extremity Nerve Institute (opens the Lower Extremity Nerve Institute website)
- Morton’s neuroma surgeryLower Extremity Nerve Institute (opens the Lower Extremity Nerve Institute website)
- Neuroma surgery optionsLower Extremity Nerve Institute (opens the Lower Extremity Nerve Institute website)
- Nerve compression in the leg and foot: an overviewLower Extremity Nerve Institute (opens the Lower Extremity Nerve Institute website)
Where to be seen
Dr. Ozturk sees patients at each of these offices, and one phone number reaches all of them.
References
- 1.Bojovic M, Dimitrijevic S, Olory BCR, et al. Overview of nerve entrapment syndromes in the foot and ankle. Int Orthop. 2025;49(4):853-862. PubMed 40042611 (external site)
- 2.Pomeroy G, Wilton J, Anthony S. Entrapment neuropathy about the foot and ankle: an update. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2015;23(1):58-66. PubMed 25538131 (external site)
- 3.Bouysset M, Lalevée M, Denarié D, Bach G, Fantino O, Meyer X, et al. Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: Outcomes and Predictive Factors After a Minimum of 5-Year Follow-up Post-Treatment. Foot Ankle Spec. 2026. PubMed 41558663 (external site)
- 4.Lu VM, Puffer RC, Everson MC, Gilder HE, Burks SS, Spinner RJ. Treating Morton's neuroma by injection, neurolysis, or neurectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of pain and satisfaction outcomes. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2021;163(2):531-543. PubMed 32056015 (external site)
- 5.Langeveld M, Hundepool CA, Duraku LS, Power DM, Rajaratnam V, Zuidam JM. Surgical Treatment of Peripheral Nerve Neuromas: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2022;150(4):823e-834e. PubMed 35895004 (external site)
- 6.Eberlin KR, Ducic I. Surgical algorithm for neuroma management: a changing treatment paradigm. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2018;6(10):e1952. PubMed 30534497 (external site)
- 7.Dumanian GA, Potter BK, Mioton LM, Ko JH, Cheesborough JE, Souza JM, et al. Targeted Muscle Reinnervation Treats Neuroma and Phantom Pain in Major Limb Amputees: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Ann Surg. 2019;270(2):238-246. PubMed 30371518 (external site)
- 8.Kubiak CA, Adidharma W, Kung TA, Kemp SWP, Cederna PS, Vemuri C. 'Decreasing Postamputation Pain with the Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface (RPNI)'. Ann Vasc Surg. 2022;79:421-426. PubMed 34656720 (external site)
- 9.Dellon AL. Partial joint denervation II: knee and ankle. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2009;123(1):208-217. PubMed 19116555 (external site)
- 10.Rungprai C, Suksintharanon M, Hempongphan T, Pongpinyopap W, Boonma P, Hathaiareerug C, et al. Postoperative Outcomes Between Positive and Negative Electrodiagnosis in Patients With Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: A Retrospective Comparative Study. Foot Ankle Int. 2024;45(6):576-585. PubMed 38506126 (external site)
- 11.Chaudhry V, Stevens JC, Kincaid J, So YT. Practice advisory: utility of surgical decompression for treatment of diabetic neuropathy. Report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2006;66(12):1805-1808. PubMed 16801641 (external site)
- 12.Chaudhry V, Russell J, Belzberg A. Decompressive surgery of lower limbs for symmetrical diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(3):CD006152. PubMed 18646138 (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.
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