| Cryosurgery - Freeze Your Foot & Ankle Pain | | | | around 80 percent in most patients", says Dr. Katz. "As |
| Away | | | | with any treatment, results will vary. However, most |
| Advances in Cryoanalgesia for Foot and Ankle Pain | | | | patients get significant relief with the Cryosurgery |
| Relief | | | | treatment. Some patients may require treatment of |
| Foot and ankle pain has become an epidemic in our | | | | several nerve areas to get relief and may need the |
| society. Diabetes, arthritis, weight gain, injuries and other | | | | procedure repeated to gain additional relief." |
| medical conditions are known contributing factors. If | | | | The latest more specialized Cryosurgery procedure |
| you suffer from chronic foot and ankle pain, relief may | | | | takes advanced skills and is more time-intensive, but |
| be at your doorstep! | | | | allows for localization of the abnormal nerve using a |
| When people live with pain on a daily basis, they have | | | | stimulator probe. Also, the area is checked for motor |
| difficulty performing simple daily activities. Some have | | | | nerves. Those are the nerves that control muscle |
| difficulty sleeping or simply walking. This often leads to | | | | movement and should not be frozen for pain relief. "It is |
| depression, weight gain and stress. The cycle | | | | a more exact and precise procedure, so there is little |
| continues, leading to further distress and life changes | | | | to no guessing. When freezing the nerve, I am more |
| that are difficult. The conditions worsen as people don't | | | | confident that the actual nerve is freezing and not just |
| know where to turn for relief. | | | | an area close to the nerve", says Dr. Katz. |
| Cryoanalgesia, also known as Cryosurgery, has been | | | | The Cryosurgery procedure sounds fairly |
| used for almost 20 years to relieve chronic foot and | | | | straightforward, but it's more than technique and |
| ankle pain by freezing the painful. Newly developed | | | | technology. Another important step in obtaining pain |
| techniques and improvements in the CryoStar | | | | relief and success involves the correct diagnosis and |
| technology have led to excellent treatments for relief | | | | finding the source of the pain. This can be a challenge |
| of pain. | | | | because many patients have a hard time describing |
| Dr. Marc Katz, a Tampa Podiatrist, has performed | | | | the type and location of their pain. The pain may also |
| hundreds of procedures for relief of foot and ankle | | | | vary from day to day. Specialized protocols are used |
| pain. He has made it his goal to find a successful | | | | to locate the nerve causing the problem and to |
| treatment and has refined the procedure through | | | | diagnose and prove the painful condition prior to |
| extensive training, advanced technology and | | | | performing any procedures. Dr Katz believes that this |
| experience. He found that many patients either lived | | | | extra step is critical to good outcomes. "Spending |
| with foot pain or had multiple types of treatments from | | | | individualized time with each patient makes a world of |
| many medical specialties with little to no relief. Many | | | | difference." |
| people had been told that there was nothing else that | | | | So what should my expectations be from the |
| could be done to provide them with relief. | | | | Cryosurgery procedure? |
| So where do you turn when you can't get relief from | | | | The majority of patients get significant pain relief for at |
| chronic foot and ankle pain? | | | | least 6-8 months. The relief can be long-lasting if the |
| Cryosurgery! | | | | underlying problem that initially caused the pain is |
| The procedure is minimally invasive and takes 15-30 | | | | treated. Not all patients treated with Cryosurgery will |
| minutes. During a typical in-office procedure, local | | | | get relief. Some may require more than one treatment |
| anesthetic is used so that the cryoprobe can be | | | | and others may not get relief at all. Also, after treating |
| introduced without discomfort. The probe is inserted | | | | an area there may be numbness that can be |
| through a small skin opening which will require no | | | | long-lasting. Other previously unidentified pain areas |
| sutures. The doctor uses a stimulator to locate the | | | | may become more apparent after pain relief in |
| nerve. The freeze cycles are then initiated to give | | | | another area. In those cases, the other involved nerves |
| long-term pain relief and produce an anesthetic effect. | | | | can also be treated. Complications are rare, however |
| The patient may perform most of their regular tasks | | | | with any procedure, they can occur. This should be |
| immediately, however . they are advised to decrease | | | | discussed with your Cryosurgeon prior to the |
| their normal level of activity over the first 48 hours. | | | | procedure. |
| Postoperative discomfort is minimal. | | | | So don't give up, Cryosurgery may be the answer for |
| In some cases more than one treatment is needed to | | | | relief of your painful foot and ankle problems. |
| obtain optimal results. "Success rates have been | | | | |