Minimizing Complications in Foot and Ankle Surgery: The Role of Minimally Invasive TechniquesJames R. McWilliam, MD Clinical Assistant Professor |
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Session Description
Foot and ankle surgery is associated with significant postoperative complications that can impact patient outcomes and recovery. Common complications include wound healing issues, postoperative infections, nerve-related pain syndromes, and bone healing complications such as nonunion and malunion. This presentation examines the emerging role of minimally invasive surgical (MIS) techniques in reducing these complications in foot and ankle surgery. Through smaller incisions and specialized instrumentation, MIS approaches demonstrate potential advantages in minimizing soft tissue trauma, reducing infection risk, and preserving neurovascular structures. The presentation will analyze current evidence supporting these techniques, highlighting specific procedural modifications that help avoid common complications. Special emphasis will be placed on the technical aspects of minimally invasive approaches and their application in preventing wound complications, decreasing postoperative infection rates, minimizing nerve entrapment, and optimizing bone healing.
Key Elements of this Session
- Complications in foot and ankle surgery: the role of the soft tissue envelope
- Current evidence supporting the benefit of minimally invasive surgery
- Evidence supporting specific minimally invasive techniques in foot and ankle surgery
Biography Dr. James R. McWilliam is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle surgery at White Plains Hospital Physician Associates in New York. A graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine, he completed his fellowship in orthopedic foot and ankle surgery at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Alabama. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor at New York Medical College and a member of the Board of Directors for the New York State Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons. |