Doctor Severs Multiple Nerves and Tendons During Foot Surgery

Case Overview

This case involves a male patient who underwent a routine foot surgery, performed by a podiatrist. During the procedure, the podiatrist cut through the plantar nerve. He also completely lacerated a major tendon. These injuries went unrecognized during the surgery. During a second surgical procedure, he found the injuries and looked for a plastic surgeon in the hospital, but could not find one. He then simply sutured the nerve together. No treatment was rendered for the lateral injured nerve. Subsequently, the patient did poorly and recently had a plastic surgeon graft the two nerves, though he still lacks feeling on the bottom of his foot.

Questions to the Podiatry expert and their responses

Do you perform this surgery?

I have performed these procedures in the past.

What are the common complications associated with this surgery?

Cutting both nerves is not a common complication of this procedure and should have been avoided by appropriate dissection techniques.

What measures should be taken to prevent injury to the nerves?

The nerve injuries are sometimes difficult to recognize if you don't know that you cut them during the procedure.

Should the injuries have been recognized / treated sooner?

In this case, I'm not sure how the DPM found the injuries 3 weeks later. It's much more difficult to find the injuries during the repeat procedure unless he cut the nerves during the repeat procedures. The way to know is to see if the patient was complaining of nerve symptoms after the 1st procedure. Despite finding and repairing the nerves, however, it's very difficult to regain the sensation.

About the expert

This highly qualified Podiatrist is board certified in Foot Surgery. He completed two residencies in both medical and surgical Podiatry. he completed intensive training in in peripheral nerve surgery. He is member of several professional organizations including the American Podiatric Medical Association and the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. This expert has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and is often invited to lecture as a guest speaker at engagements around the United States. He is highly active in the research community having completed multiple clinical trials. He is currently an Associate Professor at a podiatry school, Co-Director of Limb Preservation at a major university and enjoys hospital privileges at five regional hospitals.