Pat Hargest

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“For at least 3 years I was battling chronic plantar fasciitis and tarsal tunnel syndrome. A school friend and Podiatrist, Dr. Lynda McGinnis, was treating me during that time. We reached a crossroad in our treatment plan as in the summer of 2013 noninvasive treatments were no longer working and walking correctly was becoming very difficult.

In September, 2013, I saw Doc’s commercial and reviewed his website references. I decided to get an opinion from him. From the moment I met Doc, I felt comfortable that I would be in capable hands.

Doc is very knowledgeable, a good communicator and one heck of a surgeon. Dr. McGinnis confirmed with her circle of medical professionals that Doc Stewart is widely known for his surgery skills and knowledge.

In addition to the plantar fasciitis and tarsal tunnel, I had a chronic left ankle sprain and was constantly rolling the ankle with walking. I also had a bunion that was making wearing shoes quite uncomfortable.

By this time, my pain was to the point where I could barely walk on my left foot for no more than 3 hours per day.

Although the MRI of my ankle was questionable for a tear, Dr. Stewart informed me that the physical exam and symptoms were very consistent with a tear. I trusted him enough to continue with the surgery to fix the torn ligament on the outside of my left ankle and to address the other issues as well.

Sure enough, when he did the surgery, the ankle ligament had a big tear down the middle and had been slowly rupturing which was causing my disability over time.

We scheduled surgery for Dec 5th, 2014. I had 4 procedures on my left foot and ankle including:

1. Repair of the torn lateral ankle ligament with an internal brace
2. Release the Tarsal Tunnel ligament
3. Release the Planar Fascia at the heel
4. Bunionectomy to remove the prominent bone spur on the inside of my foot

My recovery included 2 months of non-weight bearing and aside from a minor skin infection that resolved without issue, I healed well.

My recovery was going well and a little more than 10 weeks out of surgery I was starting to bear weight with a crutch.

In the middle of the night, I heard a family member call out in distress. I forgot that I was on crutches and proceeded to RUN to her aid. I only took one step on my foot and then I was hopping!

The resulting injury was diagnosed as a bad sprain and thankfully the surgery was not compromised and the repair of my ankle held together despite the injury. I was significantly swollen and iced in a bucket for a week and swelling decreased rapidly and I was able to continue my Physical Therapy with Pivot Physical Therapy for about 4-5 months.

It has now been 9 months since my surgery. Both Doc and I agree that it will be a year before I am “normal” again. I am making good progress and have started back to the gym doing biking spin classes, elliptical and yoga exercising.

I can’t thank Doc enough for taking good care of me. As his peers stated, he is a very precise surgeon whose work is exemplary.”

* Results may vary from person to person