“My son Matthew is 16 years old. He was born with bilateral clubfoot and starting from infancy had many treatments including serial casting and a heel cord release. His left foot responded well to these treatments, but the right foot was still significantly impaired.
When he was 9 years old, an orthopedic surgeon did further surgery to improve the position of the bones in Matthew’s right foot. This was initially successful, but as Matthew entered his teenage years and grew rapidly in height, his Achilles tendon became very tight; his gait became awkward to the point that his right heel did not strike the ground, and his ankle rolled significantly placing him at risk for injury.
I initially took Matthew to Dr. Stewart for treatment of an ingrown toenail and while we were at the office I asked Dr. Stewart to evaluate the right foot and ankle. Dr. Stewart really took his time to do a thorough evaluation and explain in detail the different options for treatment including both conservative and surgical care.
After carefully considering all of our options, we decided to pursue surgery and this was performed in June 2014. During the surgery, Dr. Stewart performed an open lengthening of the Achilles tendon with a graft and he reconstructed and repaired the ankle ligament with a graft and anchors to prevent it from rolling. He also released the plantar fascia and removed a large bone spur.
Throughout the whole process Dr. Stewart was extremely helpful and professional. He truly helped us understand the mechanics of the foot and ankle. He encouraged Matthew to ask lots of questions, and he never made us feel rushed. He was very caring and supportive through the entire process.
Matthew is now 4 months out from surgery. He has completed physical therapy and is walking better than he ever has in his entire life. In fact, he walked 2 miles with the school marching band and had no pain or limitations. His gait is greatly improved, his heel strikes the ground, and the rolling motion in his ankle has been eliminated.
I believe this surgery was a life-changing improvement for him, and we are very grateful to Dr. Stewart! I would recommend him highly!”
Sincerely,
* Results may vary from person to person