Nineteen years experienced podiatrist. Recent training, 2012, for orthopedic reconstruction and wound care of the foot and ankle in PS&R-36, podiatric surgical residency. Other residency completed in 1995. My goal is to contribute as physician or other capacity to a team in the medical industry, ensuring the best outcome possible for patients needing bone, joint reconstruction and associated wound care. My experience with diabetic patients and abnormal biomechanics of foot deformities will allow me to work well with and assist physicians in the treatment of their patients. My work has included diabetes, vascular and infectious diseases, injury and trauma at various levels. I am a patient and family oriented physician focusing on foot pathologies from the preteen to geriatric person, placing a high standard on the patient’s understanding of treatment.
Special interest: Diabetes mellitus and the influence on lower extremity conditions, improving treatment outcome, wound care and patient compliance; Tarsal bone treatment as a measure to improve rearfoot/ankle arthritis and prevent need of arthrodesis.
Surgical residencies included extensive experience with coordinated foot and ankle orthopedics of diabetic and non-diabetic patients.
• History taking skills excellent for the new/established/consulting patient.
• Distinguish between acute vs. chronic wounds with development/implementation of proper care plan.
• Recognize symptoms of impaired vascular, neurological, musculoskeletal systems associated with comorbidities.
• Medical planning with physical therapy, durable medical equipment and surgical intervention of bone and/or soft tissue when needed.
• Surgical debridement skill is excellent to prepare pre-ulcerative/chronic wounds for advanced acute wound care and treatment with biological wound dressings.
• Pressure relief methods have included total contact casting, pressure diverging devices.
• Surgical:
o Soft tissue: excision of abnormal tissue mass, lesions, foreign bodies; Repair, transfer and balancing of tendon with foot deformities; various modes of plantar fasciitis and tendon treatment; deep I&D with post-op management.
o Bone tissue: Forefoot, midfoot, rearfoot elective and non-elective surgery treatments of bunion, toe deformities, metatarsal reconstructions and medial and lateral foot column alterations for flatfoot deformities. Excision of osteomyelitis followed by proper bone grafting. External fixation with controlled osteoneogenesis for brachymetatarsia. Repair of avulsion, stress or abrupt trauma fractures. Experience with core decompression of the OCL in talus or tibia of the unstable ankle with allo/auto bone grafts. Experience with multiple products and methods including MPJ implants, arthroeisis of STJ, Arrow Implant for hammertoe, locking plates, Speed Bridge procedure for Achilles tendon, plantar plate repair, bone matrix grafting, Jamshiidi bone biopsy, calcaneal graft harvesting, Linvatec nail and Orthosorb pinning.
o Trauma ER/surgery experience: Sports and accidental injuries of foot, ankle fractures; assisting experience with knee/hip/upper extremity surgeries.
Well experienced with casting and splinting of foot/leg for optimal healing, orthotics and AFO.
• Experience with the Taylor Spatial Frame to obtain deformity correction and increase stability.
Significant experience with limb salvage techniques, infection management concurrent and non-concurrent with diabetic Charcot foot.
• Experience with pediatric lower extremity problems ranging from preteens and adolescence with typical issues of shin splints, Sever’s, fractures, immature epiphyseal consolidation, adolescent PTTD.
• Pediatric clubfoot evaluation and conservative treatment with Ponseti casting method.
• High priority placed on patient education, advisement and comprehension of their diagnosis and treatment, improving compliance.
• Physical therapy associated with lower extremity biomechanics associated with non-surgical treatment, pre-op, post-op care and construction/adjustment of custom orthotics.
• Evaluation of diagnostic studies including films, ultrasound imaging, MRI, CT, scans.
• Business experience with administration and operation of a 13 year medical practice, including VA systems, EMR programs (TrakNet and Forte in office).
• Presentations/In-services to professional groups including physicians, nursing, assistants on lower extremity disease.
• Familiar with Medicare and Medicaid regulations.
• DME experience working with custom and prefabricated devices including orthotics, casting/bracing techniques, Richie braces, custom and diabetic shoes.
• Mentor in Academy for Introduction to Medical Sciences at Danville High School.