As we explain to all our patients who have had previous foot surgery or are considering a surgical procedure, complications can sometimes occur. These may include infection, delayed healing, persistent pain, or the return of the original deformity. While most foot surgeries are successful, not all outcomes are predictable — and when problems occur, a re-visional surgery may be recommended.

Why do complications happen?
Several factors can influence how a person heals after foot surgery. These include genetics, underlying health conditions (such as diabetes or poor circulation), biomechanics, activity levels, and even how a person’s body responds to surgical implants or scarring. In some cases, the foot structure itself may make certain procedures less stable over time.

Revisional foot surgery is performed to address complications or unsatisfactory results from a prior procedure. The goal is to correct the underlying issue, restore function, and improve quality of life. Because revisional surgery is often more complex than the original operation, it requires careful evaluation and a tailored approach.

If you’ve had surgery elsewhere and are dissatisfied with the results, we’re here to help.

Revisional surgery is always more involved than typical surgery. This is because we can’t account for exactly what the first surgeon did. Sometimes there are anatomical structures that were removed, tendons cut, scar tissue, or hardware left inside. All of these can create little wild cards for us when we are in surgery. This is why we tell re-visional surgery patients that we will never be able to give them a perfect result, but one that is much better than the one that they have now. We are doing the best we can with what we are handed to us.