Surgery—it’s a scary word filled with anxiety, apprehension and uncertainty. CMT patients are often confronted with the difficult decision to have surgery in the hopes it will help them walk easier and without pain.
There are many reasons why patients opt for surgery. One of the most common is to correct foot deformities. With atrophy comes muscle irregularities, which can cause some muscles and tendons to pull on the foot unequally. Calluses, spurs, hammer toes and twisted ankles are just a few of the challenges that soon ensue. Feet become twisted, turned and extremely difficult to walk on.
So how do patients know when it’s time to go under the knife? When do the potential benefits outweigh the inconvenience of casting, rehab and recovery time? More importantly, who can we turn to and trust when the stakes are so high?
Dr. Glenn Pfeffer, at IG Cedars Sinai, has been performing surgery on CMT patients for over 30 years and credits much of his passion to HNF’s CEO & Founder, Allison Moore:
“Allison Moore: really inspired me with CMT and to really forge on and to do more research. I think, certainly I’m here today in my career where I am in a large part because of her get up and go and inspiration.”
On August 29, 2019, HNF hosted a Surgery and CMT webinar in hopes we’d be able to answer our community’s questions around this important topic. Dr. Pfeffer spoke for a full hour with informative slides, patient testimonials and a Q&A session. We are grateful to Dr. Pfeffer for sharing his time with us, and encourage anyone who has ever considered foot surgery to watch the webinar.
For more information on Dr. Pfeffer please follow him on Instagram at @charcotmarietoothsurgery
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