You should see an Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon if one or more of the following applies to you:

• Pain affecting your quality of life
• Pain affecting your ability to work
• Your pain is getting worse
• You have night pain
• You have rest pain
• You can no longer exercise or participate in sports to the level you desire
• Instability of the foot or ankle
• Failure of a previous operation
• Return of symptoms, despite previous successful surgery
• You have a swelling of unknown cause
• You are unsure about the underlying diagnosis (cause of your symptoms)
• Failure of conservative measures such as rest, time, anti-inflammatories and physiotherapy
• Problems with footwear
• Deformity of the foot or ankle develops
• Preexisting deformity of the foot or ankle worsens

Appointments

Appointment Booking for the Princess Grace Hospital is through HCA Connect.

Appointments for the Chiltern Hospital are through the National Enquiry Hotline.

Please make sure you are clear not only of the time but the place of your appointment.

Appointments occasionally need to be changed at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances. Before leaving for your appointment please check to see that the appointment has not been changed. At the time of booking your appointment please provide an up to date telephone number that staff can contact you on reliably and at short notice.

Clinics may run late

The clinics usually run to time, but clinical problems can be unpredictable and so very occasionally a clinic may run late. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience.  We would like to reassure you that we make every effort to keep to time and minimise any delay.

Chaperones and escorts

If you would like a chaperone please inform the clinic nurse on your arrival, and do so each time you come. We welcome you to bring a friend or family member to any of the clinics as they are most welcome.

You are more likely to remember the full details of the consultation accurately if you have someone with you who can help you recall the finer details afterwards.

Second opinions

Making decisions about your treatment and potential surgery is never an easy one. To help you with your decision you may wish to seek a second opinion. Not only do we not mind this, but actually encourage it if doubts exist in your mind.  If you feel one might help do please ask us as we can recommend several other orthopaedic foot & ankle specialists.

Pregnancy

Please notify your surgeon Mr Malik if you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant at any point during your treatment, as some investigations and treatments may potentially damage you and your future baby.

Following the initial appointment with Mr Malik, your Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon, most patients will be given a provisional diagnosis.

Investigations are often requested to help confirm the diagnosis. 1 in 10 patients present with unusual or atypical symptoms that require further tests and investigations to obtain the underlying diagnosis.

The correct diagnosis is very important, as this will help provide a prognosis and set out the correct treatment plan.

Almost all patients can and will be offered a trial of non-operative management in the first instance.

Forms of non-operative management include:

• Activity modification
• Rest
• NSAIDs
• Orthotics
• Physiotherapy
• Referral to podiatry
• Footwear modification
• Walking aids
• Weight loss
• Immobilisation in a surgical boot or plaster
• Time…….

Surgical management is reserved for patients who have failed the above for at least 3 months. Patients should understand that the decision to undergo surgery should not be taken lightly. Any intervention is considered in a step wise manner, with the least invasive procedure carried out first.