Doctor Among Only in Nation to Pioneer Procedure for Disabling Foot Pain
Patients Experiencing Extreme Foot Pain Can Find Relief with Cryosurgery
Tampa, FL – Like Dr. House on the hit show ‘House’, Dr. Katz is the go-to guy when it comes to advanced complications with feet; especially foot pain that is so severe it impacts the life of the patient, performance at work, ability to exercise and more. In fact, he’s only one of a handful of other podiatrists nationwide to perfect the cryosurgery procedure in order to most effectively resolve painful foot and ankle conditions.
Judy Billings of Apollo Beach had severe foot pain for the last two years. “The pain was so bad, it felt like I was being electrically shocked anytime I put pressure on my foot by standing or walking. I was limping to walk, and I used every kind of padding and special shoes available and nothing worked. I literally tried everything.”
At the age of 66, Billings also had osteoporosis in her hips and was told by doctors that she should be walking for 30 minutes per day. Her foot pain was so excruciating, she wasn’t able to fulfill doctor’s orders to maintain her health.
Finally, Billings had cryosurgery procedure done in both of her feet by Dr. Marc Katz of Advanced Podiatry in Tampa. “Now I don’t have any pain. Cryosurgery just froze the nerve, and now the pain is completely gone,” explained Billings.
Dr. Katz saw in an ultrasound how inflamed the nerve really was. He used Cryosurgery to literally freeze the nerve and eliminate pain.
“Cryosurgery is a revolutionary technology which helps to avoid more invasive and costly surgeries which have a greater risk of complication,” says Dr. Katz.
Tamara Rampino of Largo shares a similar story. “I had incredible foot pain for probably two years.” explained Rampino. “My work makes me stand on my feet for 10 to 12 hours per day and I was in so much pain. I am self-employed, and a single mother with no health insurance, so I couldn’t take a lot of time off to get treatment for my foot. Through ‘cryo’, I was able to recover in 3 days.”
“I would get up in the morning, hobble around, and ice my foot.” continues Rampino. “I never could put all my weight on my right foot. I was cranky and gained 30 pounds from not being able to be active. I used to play tennis and golf and because of foot pain could no longer do those activities. I would literally be in tears every day after work. I would cry in my car on the way home because my foot would be burning and hurting so bad.”
Now Rampino walks every morning for an hour. She also cheerfully explains her ‘shoe fetish’ in which she was never able to wear regular shoes or heels due to her foot pain. Now she owns about 60 pairs of shoes and heels.
About Cryosurgery: Cryosurgery, also known as Cryotherapy or Neuroablation, is a minimally-invasive FDA approved procedure performed by Dr. Katz in the office for pain relief. Cryosurgery or ‘Cryo’ helps provide relief from heel pain, Morton’s neuroma and other painful foot and ankle conditions by freezing the affected nerve.
The Procedure: According to Dr. Katz, the procedure takes approximately 15 minutes to perform. In a typical in-office procedure, the painful area is infiltrated with a local anesthetic, so that a probe can be introduced without discomfort. A small puncture just large enough for the probe to easily pass through is made through the skin.
Katz explains how a small diameter instrument is placed through the puncture site to create a pathway for the probe to be inserted. The probe is inserted through the puncture site to the area of pain or the nerve. The freeze cycles are then initiated. Upon completion of the freeze cycles, the probe is removed and an antibiotic ointment placed over the puncture site with a sterile dressing applied. Katz freezes the painful nerve so that pain is eliminated.
Sutures are not necessary due to the small size of the puncture. The dressing may be removed within 24 hours and postoperative discomfort is minimal.
About Dr. Marc Katz: Dr. Marc Katz is Board-Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery. He is the founder of Advanced Podiatry, located at 508 S. Habana Avenue in Tampa. For more information about Advanced Podiatry or Cryosurgery, contact the practice at (813) 875-0555 or visit them online at www.tampacryosurgery.com.
Media Inquiries: For more information, or to set up an interview, please call Jennifer Vickery at (727) 946-2082 or Michele Maloney at (727) 230-9265.