Brazil and Foot & Ankle Surgeons from around the World

Last week, I attended and presented at the International Federation of Foot and Ankle Surgeons Third Annual Congress. This Congress is held every three years and features the premier foot and ankle surgeons (Orthopedic and Podiatric) from around the world. This Congress was held in Bahia, Brazil. Previous Congresses were held in San Francisco, CA and Naples Italy.

Over 500 foot and ankle surgeons from around the World attended this years meeting with less than 50 giving presentations. An incredible amount of interesting research was presented with mid and long term results on emerging techniques and technologies and a wealth of new ideas and procedures.

I was fortunate enough to have two of my papers selected to present. I presented on a new technique that we developed over the last couple of years on repairing the plantar plate of an unstable or dislocated metatarsophalangeal joint. This is a difficult problem without a previous good solution. The paper was well received with most finding this new technique as a good alternative to explore in the future.

Additionally, I presented our longer term results on the Calcaneal Scarf Procedure. This procedure is used to correct painful flatfoot deformity. The benefits of this procedure over others that are currently utilized is that it allows for larger and more stable correction and quicker return to weight bearing.

Dr. Weil, Sr. was an invited speaker who presented his long term experience on the Weil Metatarsal Osteotomy which is a procedure invented by him in the 1980’s and now used worldwide for several specific pathologies of the foot.

Besides the academic aspect of the Congress, it was interesting and enjoyable to spend time with surgeons from all over the World and learning about their countries, cultures and families.

The people of Brazil did an amazing job of putting on a 1st Class Congress and showed the spirit that they are famous.

Lowell Weil, Jr.

Fasciitis and the Firefighter

I am a 44 year old firefighter that has suffered with chronic heel pain (Plantar Fasciitis) for over 2 years. I also run a few miles several times a week as part of my regular exercise routine. To say that I was frustrated with my pain and the inability to treat it with all the conventional stretching, exercises, inserts, etc is an understatement.

After a referral from my Orthopedic Surgeon to Dr. Lowell Weil Jr., that was about to change. He was completely thorough in his diagnosis and offered several options for treatment. I had surgery, minimal invasive, last December and was back on my feet in 48 hours. Within a week I was back walking in gym shoes and back to the gym on a light workout within a month.

When I say the recovery was quick, it is amazing how good my feet felt. It took Dr. Weil's caution to take it easy at first to keep me from doing more right away. His options for treatment are not offered by all doctors and that's too bad. I have heard horror stories of multiple surgeries with 6 month recovery time. Nonsense - if you suffer from chronic heel pain, give Dr. Lowell Weil Jr. a call, I have referred several people to him and will continue to do so. It is 9 months since my surgery and I have had NO problems what so ever with my heel.

Thank You again Dr. Weil.

Firefighter - Tom (Chicago, IL)

Appreciation!

Dear Dr. L.S. Weil,

In the twenty years I have been traversing the mazes of medical care, there have been a precious few encounters that measure up to the experience I had last month with you. There have been many who believed they were on top of their game, came highly recommended, splattered with publication, specialization, and honors. Most have schedules requiring weeks of advance booking, with fees to match. You, could teach all of them a thing or two, which, either they never knew or somehow lost along the way.

Thank you. ....for a bedside manner which still emotes curiosity, sensitivity and reasonable rationality... for language that clarified instead of dazzled and dazed...for treating me not only with sharpened professionalism but with kindness, consideration and wisdom you would offer a sister. Thank you for responses to my side-bar chatter, which gave me a glimpse of the man behind the white coat. I left your office informed and encouraged, determined to keep up the good fight, to take the next step, one slightly misaligned foot in front of the other. You delivered the best of what great healers have to offer. And while I know, you know, you are good at your art. You failed miserably the arrogance test.

Great men surround themselves with great subordinates. Every facet of my encounter with your support people; from making the appointment, registering at the desk, giving a history, standing for x-rays, getting copies, or asking follow up questions was handled with patience and professionalism, by individuals who actually felt like they cared enough to get it right and liked what they were doing. There was eye contact, civility, and a sense that one was more than a file or a case to be shuffled. I am still however, undecided about the waiting room. Which do I like best, Boy With Thorn, or cascading water walls? All round, through and through, a class act.

While I don't look forward to the proposed treatment plan, I am reassured and confident that the best man with a great team will be looking out for me.

With My Most Sincere Appreciation,

Mary (Woodstock, IL)

Back to Basketball

I was devastated in February when I came down for a rebound and couldn’t walk off the court. I saw the end of my NCAA All-Conference Basketball career when a previous podiatrist put me in a walking boot, for my tendon strain. I contacted Dr. Amarantos and after a preliminary visit with him devised a more custom plan of treatment for me. After an MRI, which revealed a ruptured Posterior Tibialis we scheduled a surgery.

Two weeks after surgery I started feeling some relief when the cast was taken off and I returned to a walking boot. Six weeks later I was able to wear my gym shoes with a brace, and I could really notice the vast improvement, I was able to walk with next to no pain for the first time in four months! I was recently cleared for full playing and am grateful for the specialized treatment that I received from Dr. Amarantos.

My fears of missing my senior season did not come true, as the prompt quality treatment got me back on the court for pre-season. I will gladly recommend any of my teammates, family, or friends to Dr. Amarantos, in complete confidence that they would receive top-notch treatment.

Thanks Dr. A!

Lady Reds Captain
Carthage College Kenosha, WI

MRI

Weil Foot & Ankle Institute installs New MRI

New OrthOne Open High Field MRI-- The magnet architecture permits consistent, very high quality imaging of the extremity powered by a formidable 1-Tesla superconducting magnet optimizing musculoskeletal imaging.

Patients requiring an MRI of the foot, ankle or knee/ lower extremity benefit from a totally non-claustrophobic, quiet, quick, comfortable and convenient experience on the high field extremity system. Because it's designed specifically for extremity applications, no attachment of surface coils or other devices to the imaged anatomy is required. The patient's anatomy is always in the "sweet spot" of the magnet.

Patient Convenience and Comfort - A truly open MRI system.
Completely open design – no claustrophobic tube – only the extremity to be imaged is placed in the magnet.
Ergonomically designed movable chair for optimal patient comfort.
Comfortably accommodates patients up to 350 lbs.
Quiet operation – no loud pulses or noise.
Faster scan times comparable to whole body MRI units – 30 minute average patient study time.
Non-threatening environment–ideal for all patients especially elderly clients/children.

Because the OrthOne is a high-field MRI, doctors can perform surgery with confidence based on the high-resolution images.
A modern Windows-based user interface offers detailed control over scan parameters. Presaturation and Fat Saturation (as well as STIR and a full library of sequences) are standard. The Superconducting magnet delivers outstanding image quality at very fast scan speeds.
A comfortable, non-threatening, non-claustrophobic MRI device that creates scans with extremely high quality images. The scan is performed with you sitting in a comfortable chair. The only part of your body to go into the magnet is the part being scanned.

Boomers not backing down from foot and ankle arthritis

Surgical advances keeping them active, pain-free

They danced to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and disco. They worked out with Jane Fonda and made jogging their national pastime.

Now approaching retirement, many members of the "Me Generation" aren't ready to slow down, even if their bodies are. Chicago foot and ankle surgeon Lowell Weil, Jr., DPM, MBA, FACFAS says Baby Boomers are more likely than previous generations to seek care when arthritis develops in their toes, feet and ankles.

There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, including gout and rheumatoid arthritis. According to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS), the most common forms to affect the feet are post-traumatic and osteoarthritis, especially in the big toe, ankle and midfoot joints.

Dr. Weil, Jr. says many Boomers who seek treatment for arthritis assume they'll be able to resume activities such as running or playing sports. Seeking treatment early can improve the odds of preventing irreversible joint damage. For many patients with early-stage foot or ankle arthritis, changes in shoes or advanced custom orthotics can make a huge difference. While there is no fountain of youth for arthritis, Dr. Weil says there are more medical options available to Baby Boomers than ever before.

Big toes

Baby Boomers are most likely to develop osteoarthritis in their big toe joint. During walking, the big toe absorbs forces equal to nearly twice a person's body weight. It plays an important role in stooping and standing. Some boomers start to develop big toe stiffness, a condition called hallux limitus, in their forties.

Better surgical procedures now offer improved pain relief and joint movement to Boomers with early stage arthritis at the big toe. Patients with advanced and severe arthritis may need to have the joint fused or replaced. But stronger screws and hardware are helping fusions last longer while slashing recovery times. A new generation of big toe joint replacements shows promise.

Ankles

Ankles are another prime spot for arthritis. Ankles are more likely to develop post-traumatic arthritis than osteoarthritis. For many Baby Boomers, the trauma was an ankle fracture or a bad sprain that may have happened in their teens or twenties. Innovative new surgical techniques allow foot and ankle surgeons to transplant small plugs of cartilage from one part of the ankle to another in some patients, slowing joint deterioration.

Ankle replacements, however, are not as durable as hip and knee replacements. The ankle is a more challenging joint to replace. It's smaller and moves in multiple directions. But better and promising ankle implants are hitting the market.

Please call us at 847-390-7666 to make an appointment with Dr. Weil, Jr., or visit our website to learn more about Weil Foot & Ankle Institute.