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Clinical Services

We provide the following clinical services:

• Minor in-office surgical procedures
• More involved in-hospital foot surgery
• Paediatric foot assessments
• Prescription and modification of custom foot orthoses
• General podiatry care
• Second opinions about foot surgery and postoperative management

Do you need a medical referral?

• A medical referral is unnecessary for private health insurance purposes. 
• If you are currently under supervision for a medical condition a letter from you GP or Specialist would be appreciated
• Referrals from General Podiatrists specifically for foot surgery are welcome

Children's Foot Care

Many painful structural foot problems in adult life are present but normally asymptomatic in children.
Some foot problems may be diagnosed and effectively treated within the first few months of a baby's life. For this reason, we suggest all newborn should be screened for foot problems before the age of six months, again at three years of age and then at seven.

Children’s foot and leg problems which can be assessed and treated include: 
                                                               

• In-toeing or out-toeing
• Pronated or flat feet
  
• Toe deformities
• Toenail conditions
• Verruca (warts)
• Sever’s disease (heel pain)
• Flat-foot deformity

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Adult Foot Care

Our foot structure often changes as we age and may lead to the development of corns, callous, bunions and other foot problems. Foot problems are often caused or exacerbated by medical problems, such as diabetes or arthritis.

Podiatric care can help prevent many of these conditions from becoming a chronic problem. We are well experienced in treating the following common podiatric conditions:​

• Ingrowing toenail problems
• Fungal infections of the skin or nails
• Corns, callouses or verruca
• Arthritic conditions of the foot
• Generalised foot or ankle pain​
• Foot or foot-related sporting or over-use injuries of the lower limb
• Flat-foot deformity

Custom Foot Orthoses

Many foot complaints can be effectively treated with custom-made orthoses.
Orthoses are individually prescribed and  designed to relieve abnormal stresses on the foot and lower limb.

• We now use SmartCastTM - an advanced optical scanner developed by Northwest Podiatric Laboratory in the US - to take neutral foot impressions. The highly accurate digital scans are then emailed to the laboratory reducing the time and cost of sending plaster casts to the US. 
  
• Our custom orthoses are exclusively made at Northwest Podiatric Laboratory in the US from ultra-thin carbon graphite composites that take up very little space inside the shoe.
• Such devices are comfortable to wear and  reduce or eliminate the symptoms of poor foot posture.
• Most private health insurance funds provide rebates for prescription foot orthoses.
• Custom foot orthoses usually last for many years requiring only occasional simple refurbishment

Office-Based Procedures

Many simple foot problems can be effectively treated with a minor surgical procedure performed under local analgesia in the office.
Most private health insurance funds, but not Medicare, provide rebates for minor in-office surgical procedures.*

• Ingrowing toenails
• Curettage of verruca
• ​Digital tenotomies for contracted claw-toes​          

Hospital-Based Foot Surgery

More complicated surgical procedures need to be performed in hospital, either as a day procedure or sometimes with a single overnight stay.
 All private health insurance funds provide rebates for basic hospital costs associated with podiatric surgery and any prosthetic devices or implants used. under their Silver or Gold hospital tables. 

However not all funds, including Medicare, rebate the surgical or anaesthetist's fee.

In WA, HBF has provided rebates for podiatric surgery for almost 35-years and remains the fund of choice for patients considering podiatric surgery. 
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Surgical procedures* commonly performed include the correction of:

• Bunion deformities - hallux valgus or rigidus
• Tailor's bunions
• Hammertoes or claw-toes
• Neuromas
• Heel spurs
• Ingrown toenails
• Flat-foot correction

*AHPRA, with great wisdom, recommends that before proceeding to surgery of any kind "individuals should consider seeking a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner".