Podiatric vs Orthopaedic surgeon

20vt-rs

Hi all - Is there any hospital / health workers on here that can explain the difference in these two areas as I am getting confused. I've been referred to a Podiatric Surgeon and I need an operation on a joint in my foot, but reading up on it I could have this done by both the Podiatric or Orthopaedic surgeon. Which one is going to better for results as I am confused.com! Thanks...

Toothsmith

In general, Orthopaedic surgeon is a bone/joint specialist. A podiatric surgeon will be an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in feet.

Google can be helpful - but people really shouldn't overdo it and start getting tied up in knots over stuff. It really doesn't help

20vt-rs

Thanks for the reply, I am not 100% that's what I have been told, th POD surgeon said he was not a doctor but performs surgical procedures but feet only. OrthoP's are also doctors, which I think means they can treat all areas of joints etc. The thing that is nerving me is if the POD is not as well qualified, then are they likely to do a worse job? My feet are important and I am worried

Nicki

20vt-rs wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, I am not 100% that's what I have been told, th POD surgeon said he was not a doctor but performs surgical procedures but feet only. OrthoP's are also doctors, which I think means they can treat all areas of joints etc. The thing that is nerving me is if the POD is not as well qualified, then are they likely to do a worse job? My feet are important and I am worried

Yes this is correct. Podiatrists aren't qualified doctors as podiatry is a specialism in its own right. Just as dentists aren't doctor's and physiotherapists and psychologists aren't even though they all work in the medical field.

Podiatrist surgeons have degrees in podiatry not medicine and the qualification period to perform surgery (as oppose to other forms of podiatry such as prescription and manufacture of orthotics) is I understand 10 years. So your podiatric surgeon is likely to be pretty well qualified too.

theoretica

To complicate your thoughts further, will the podiatric surgeon have done more of that particular operation? How many other things your surgeon is qualified to do doesn't really matter to you, but experience with that particular surgery does.

20vt-rs

Hi all thank you for the recent replies, you have put a good perspective on it now, Niki your comment about dentists etc really made me understand this better and actually the Podiatric surgeon is probably better as he is the specialist in this area and does lots of these successfully. I have my mind put at ease now