Allied Podiatry

Hi! I'm Mindy Winkler. A little while back we were with Angela Bierly, who had visited Allied Podiatry and Dr. James Hillaire. She had a bunion and "Slender Toe" surgery done. Can you explain a little further what you did for that procedure and for her?
Dr. James Hillaire: Yes. Angela a bunion sort of like this foot model here and also her foot was angled here. Her bone was out farther than this one, making it difficult to wear shoes and irritation with those spurs, so we removed a bunion here and also designed it to be a needle incision so that it is not visible when you are looking at your foot. Also, it helps when the scar contracts it helps hold the toe straighter. So it has a better esthetic and function-wise, as well. And she also had a spur here causing a callous here on the side of her toe, so it was removed with an incision on the side of her nail. So it takes care of two birds with one stone. The ingrown nail is gone and the painful callous on the side of her toe. Actually her toe was slender and she'll have more room in shoes.
Winkler: So speaking of shoes, I see she was not wearing dress shoes yet and I see you brought some here. What would you recommend for your patients to wear?
Hillaire: OK. If we go for a dress shoe we have to look at the overall design. We want a square toe versus a pointy toe. And we want the heel to be about two thumbs up not stilettos like these.
Winkler: So fashion doesn't necessarily equal good health.
Hillaire: Not necessarily.
Winkler: Sorry Jimmy Choo.
Hillaire: No, no. These are called "bunion generators". You wear those long enough, you're going to have to have the surgery over again. This is more unstable. It increases the center of gravity on your ankle. You're more likely to trip and fall. This is a more stable base here. This is more comfortable. Actually it has an arch support in it as well, where this is flat on the inside. So, they do design orthotics for these types of shoes. I highly recommend, especially if you are wearing this one.
Winkler: So if you're suffering from foot pain, call Dr. Hillaire at 812-645-0616.