The surgery is … About 90 percent of children who undergo Ponseti method treatment for clubfoot still have an abnormally tight Achilles tendon after the casting process is complete. Parents of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. Achilles Tendon Lengthening. A clubfoot was never treated.
The most common complications of extensive soft tissue release are overcorrection of the deformity, stiffness, and pain. If a child’s clubfoot is resistant to treatment because the Achilles tendon doesn’t stretch and grow as much as doctors expected after a percutaneous Achilles tenotomy was performed, doctors may recommend a procedure called Achilles tendon lengthening. The child will probably need to wear some type of brace for several months, and maybe even years after the surgery, but ideally, the treatment should not … Some type of cast or brace may also be used. The problem comes back. However, clubfoot repair surgery may be needed if: The cast or other treatments do not fully correct the problem. Occasionally, the doctor may request X-rays to fully understand how severe the clubfoot is, but usually X-rays are not necessary.It's possible to clearly see most cases of clubfoot before birth during a routine ultrasound exam in week 20 of pregnancy. A pediatric orthopedic surgeon can correct the problem with an outpatient surgical procedure to lengthen the tendon. The well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a normal, active life.
Clubfoot patients remain in the hospital for up to three days after surgery. Moreover, the optimal timing for surgery still remains controversial, although some authors suggest surgery within the first year of life, just before the child starts to walk . Clubfoot found in babies can often be successfully managed with casting and bracing, thereby avoiding surgery. Most commonly, a doctor recognizes clubfoot soon after birth just from looking at the shape and positioning of the newborn's foot. After casting, the child wears a brace for several years. The casted leg stays elevated to reduce swelling. We reviewed a series of patients with clubfoot who had undergone nonsurgical and/or surgical treatment. After the last cast is removed, it is still possible for the muscles in your child's foot to try to return to the clubfoot position, so special shoes or braces will likely be used for up to a year or more after surgery. This procedure allows your child’s foot to stretch and grow into the right position.
After surgery for clubfoot, a large bandage is applied to the foot.