Taking the anxiety – and long recovery time –
out of foot surgery

Dr. Kai Olms, founder of the Association for Foot and Ankle Surgery in Germany, travels the world training surgeons in complex procedures and pursuing humanitarian work. At his home base, Agnes Karll Hospital, he and his associates handle more than 1,000 foot surgery cases annually, the vast majority to correct deformities or the results of trauma.

Among his patients is a colleague, general surgeon Dr. Nicola Handke, who for most of her life experienced foot pain due to the common deformity hallux valgus, which involves inward growth of the big toe. Although this condition limited the running and hiking she loves, Dr. Handke postponed surgery because of the long recovery period, which would limit her ability to work and care for her young children.

She decided to go ahead with the surgery because Stryker’s new Foot Solutions System, which Dr. Olms helped develop, features a plating mechanism that allowed her to put partial weight on her foot immediately after surgery and shortened her expected recovery time. Within months, Dr. Handke reported being pain-free and enjoying her favorite activities.