Fasciotomy Health Article

Alternatives

Conservative nonoperative treatment for plantar fasciitis consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for several weeks. For persons who spend excessive time on their feet, a change of occupation or the use of arch supports may be useful. Overweight individuals may consider weight reduction to reduce the stress placed on their feet. For persons bitten by a poisonous snake, there are no acceptable alternatives to a fasciotomy, and there are rarely acceptable alternatives to fasciotomy for a person who has been burned.

BOOKS

Bland, K. I., W. G. Cioffi, and M. G. Sarr. Practice of General Surgery. Philadelphia: Saunders, 2001.

Canale, S. T. Campbell's Operative Orthopedics. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, 2003.

Schwartz, S. I., J. E. Fischer, F. C. Spencer, G. T. Shires, and J. M. Daly. Principles of Surgery. 7th ed. New York: Mc-Graw-Hill, 1998.

Townsend, C., K. L. Mattox, R. D. Beauchamp, B. M. Evers, and D. C. Sabiston. Sabiston's Review of Surgery. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Saunders, 2001.

PERIODICALS

Cook, S., and G. Bruce. "Fasciotomy for Chronic Compartment Syndrome in the Lower Limb." Australia New Zealand Journal of Surgery 72, no. 10 (2002): 720–723.

Fulkerson, E., A. Razi, and N. Tejwani. "Review: Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Foot." Foot and Ankle International 24, no. 2 (2003): 180–187.

Lin, Y. M. "Will Fasciotomy Help in the Patients with Crush Syndrome?" American Journal of Kidney Diseases 41, no. 1 (2003): 265–266.

Watson, T. S., R. B. Anderson, W. H. Davis, and G. M. Kiebzak. "Distal Tarsal Tunnel Release with Partial Plantar Fasciotomy for Chronic Heel Pain: An Outcome Analysis." Foot and Ankle International 23, no. 6 (2002): 530–537.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 6300 North River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018-4262. (847) 823-7186 or (800) 346-AAOS. Fax: (847) 823-8125. <http://www.aaos.org/wordhtml/home2.htm>.

American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. 515 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, IL 60068-3150. (888) 843-3338). mail@acfas.org. <http://www.acfas.org/index.html>.

American College of Surgeons. 633 North St. Clair Street, Chicago, IL 60611-32311. (312) 202-5000. Fax: (312) 202-5001. postmaster@facs.org. <http://www.facs.org>.

American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. 2517 Eastlake Avenue E., Seattle, WA 98102. (206) 223-1120. Fax: (206) 223-1178. aofas@aofas.org. <http://www.aofas.org>.

American Podiatric Medical Association. 9312 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814. (301) 571-9200 or (800) 275-2762. Fax: (301) 530-2752. <http://www.apma.org>.

OTHER

Swain, R., and D. Ross. "Lower Extremity Compartment Syndrome." Postgraduate Medicine March 1999 [cited April 2, 2003]. <http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/1999/03_99/swain.htm>.

U. S. Department of Defense. "Postoperative Care." Virtual Naval Hospital (University of Iowa) [cited April 2, 2003]. <http://www.vnh.org/EWSurg/ch18/18PostoperativeCare.html>.

University of North Dakota School of Medicine. "Compartment Syndrome of the Foot." [cited April 2, 2003]. <http://www.med.und.nodak.edu/depts/fammed/Fractures/fracture.dir/oa2/76.htm>.

Yale University School of Medicine. "What Are the Signs of Compartment Syndrome?" [cited April 2, 2003]. <http://yalesurgery.med.yale.edu/surgery/sections/plastics/Core% 20Curriculum%20Pages/Lower%20Extremity%20Page/LegAns2.html>.

L. Fleming Fallon, Jr., MD, DrPH

WHO PERFORMS THE PROCEDURE AND WHERE IS IT PERFORMED?

Fasciotomy in a limb is usually performed by a general surgeon. The typical location is an outpatient facility using regional anesthesia. For persons with burns or others who require extensive fasciotomy, the procedure is performed in a hospital operating room under general anesthesia.

Plantar fasciotomy is performed by a foot specialist in a professional office or outpatient surgical clinic under local anesthesia. The procedure requires 20 minutes to one hour.

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE DOCTOR

• Is the surgeon board-certified in general or podiatric surgery?
• How many fasciotomy procedures has the surgeon performed?
• What is the surgeon's complication rate?