Step 1: Conservative Treatment & Getting Diagnosed by Dr.Katz

Conservative Treatment: I drove 50 miles to get to Dr.Katz's office and told him about my symptoms.  He, just like my first podiatrist, felt my feet muscles and confirmed that I have a flexible flat feet.  He said I am a good candidate for the procedure because I have a lot of flexibility in my ankle joint, even after stent would have been inserted.  I took x-rays in 2 positions: 1) my natural relaxed position & 2) with my big toe up slightly to create an arch.   But before we decide on the surgery, Dr. Katz suggested to tape my foot and see how I feel for next 3 days.  He asked which foot was worse and I had a painful achilles tendon pain, so I said my left.  That day, I felt amazing with the tape on - but it quickly wore off as my weight was pushing against the tape and by the end of the day it was already very loose.  One thing that I found very helpful in managing my tendon pain was getting a professional foot massage for an hour.  So I started going to an expensive massage once a week just so that I can walk without any pain.  To recap, here are the methods I've tried before making up my mind on Hyprocure: 1) Compression Socks, 2) Insoles / Orthotics, 3) Acupuncture, 4) Massage and 5) Medical Tape. 

Superfeet & Orthotics I've tried

Last Reason to Choose Hyprocure: If I wear custom orthotics, it is for life.  I will have to swap out my orthotics from shoes to shoes and since not all shoes (dress shoes, etc) will accommodate orthotics, it would be very cumbersome and I think it will only alleviate the pain, but not ultimately address it.   Flat feet, if left untreated, can cause ankle, knee, hip and lower back problems and you are more than likely to develop arthritis as you age further.  Hyprocure is permanent, and it fixes the problem at its core and prevents you from developing arthritis.  Thus, it is crucial to get this surgery BEFORE you develop any serious foot problems, not after.

It will also fix "0" shaped legs so that you will stand straighter!

2nd Podiatrist Visit: I told Dr. Katz how effective the medical tape treatment was for about a day or so, and he informed me that is how I'm expected to feel after Hyprocure.  We go over my X-ray which shows that the natural hole in between my ankle and feet bones are collapsed in my relaxed position, but it appears in 2nd X-ray where I created an artificial arch.  That is where the Hyprocure (Medical Grade Titanium Stent) would be put in.  Dr. Kats asked for a last time if I was sure that I did not want to stick with the conservative approach, and confirms the procedure when I told him I'm sure.  He showed me a sample of actual titanium stent and gave a prescription for pain killers which I can get from any retail pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, etc).  The scheduler would follow up with me on soonest available surgery date and I would also need to do pre-op tests done at the urgent care center, which involved getting blood work & physical, to ensure that I am safe to under go general anesthesia.  Just like that, my surgery will be booked soon.  I flew out to NYC same night for a vacation, and I made sure that I get a good massage before I fly out, since I would have to walk around a lot in NYC.

Not My Actual X-Ray, but Left is after Hyprocure, and Right is Before

     

This is Where The Stent Will Be Put In