Podiatry & Podiatric Surgery - Los Angeles, CA

Doctor examining patient's feet and ankle

UCLA Health excellence in podiatric care

Our specialists care for all types of foot and ankle problems. We offer expert treatment, ranging from vascular care and sports medicine to tumor removal. Our team is part of the Division of Vascular Surgery at the UCLA Department of Surgery.

At our foot and ankle clinic, you receive:

Comprehensive services: Our team uses specialized expertise and advanced techniques to treat the full range of issues that affect your foot and ankle. You can rely on us to help you manage common or complex conditions and injuries. We provide care for children and adults of all ages.

Collaborative care: We work together with other specialists at UCLA Health, so you receive seamless treatment. For example, our podiatric providers partner with cancer experts and radiation specialists to treat foot tumors. We also work directly with vascular surgeons to manage poor circulation. As a team, we provide complete care.

Surgical expertise: Our podiatric surgeons have extensive knowledge and experience when it comes to treating complex conditions. We often operate alongside vascular surgeons and general surgeons. Our dedicated team uses state-of-the-art surgical equipment and techniques to give you the best possible outcome.

Research and academic team: UCLA Health experts understand the importance of ongoing education, teaching and research. We stay on top of the latest technologies and surgical procedures. Our robust research gives eligible patients access to the most advanced treatments.

Conditions podiatric surgeons treat

Our foot and ankle specialists offer you complete, customized care. As part of the UCLA Department of Surgery, we treat:

Abnormal toenails, such as misshapen, infected, diseased and ingrown toenails
Diabetes-related problems, including foot or ankle ulcers and infections
Issues caused by other diseases affecting arteries in your legs and feet
Skin infections
Wounds

We also care for the full spectrum of foot and ankle conditions. Our specialists treat growths and foot and ankle alignment problems such as:

Bunions
Congenital (present from birth) malformations
Flatfoot
Hammer toe
Skin and bone tumors
Warts and painful callouses

We manage and treat pain from:

Osteoarthritis and joint conditions
Morton’s neuroma (pain, tingling or numbness in your toes or balls of your feet)
Plantar fasciitis (heel pain)
Sever’s disease (heel pain in children)

And our team provides treatment for:

Sports and tendon injuries
Trauma to the foot or ankle

Our foot and ankle specialties

At UCLA Health, we provide care in our outpatient foot and ankle clinic, and to inpatients in the larger hospital setting. Our specialties include:

Detecting early signs of disease

We check for problems with circulation (how blood flows through your body). Poor circulation in your foot and ankle may be a sign of certain conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or arthritis.

We use a specialized method (hyperspectral imaging) to see blood flow beneath your skin’s surface. This technique uses a sensor that helps us assess the health of your blood vessels and blood flow. Our team works with vascular specialists to recommend additional tests and treatment if we spot warning signs of disease.

Sports injuries

Our foot and ankle specialists treat sports injuries in all levels of athletes. We specialize in taping and bracing your foot and ankle. These techniques stabilize joints and improve your mobility. In collaboration with physical therapists, we provide a specific therapy regimen that fits your goals and lifestyle.

Custom orthotics

We offer custom foot orthotics (shoe inserts) precisely tailored to the shape of your foot. Our podiatric providers use an advanced three-dimensional (3D) printing system to create extremely accurate and lightweight orthotics. Orthotics support your lower body and help ease pain or discomfort from a variety of conditions.

Foot and ankle trauma

Our podiatric surgeons treat traumatic (sudden) injuries to your foot or ankle, such as broken bones, fractures, dislocations or wounds. These types of injuries can be scary and painful. You can trust our team to provide compassionate and skilled care, whether inpatient or outpatient.

Foot wound treatment and research

We have unique expertise in treating foot wounds, whether from trauma or disease complications. Our team actively studies new ways of treating food wounds using regenerative medicine therapies. Regenerative medicine uses your body’s own cells, blood or tissue to promote healing. We lead clinical trials that provide eligible patients access to the latest promising therapies.

Foot tumor treatment

We treat foot tumors (noncancerous and cancerous) that affect your skin or bone. We use effective, precise techniques that spare healthy tissue. For cancerous tumors, we work closely with oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists and interventional radiologists. Together, we find the best approach to remove the cancer as completely as possible.

Limb salvage procedures

Our experienced podiatric surgeons do everything possible to give you the best possible outcome when you have a severe condition affecting your foot or ankle. We carefully rearrange skin, tendon and bone to preserve your limb and your body's ability to work properly.

If you do lose part of your foot or ankle, we work directly with prosthesis experts at UCLA Health and other private practices. We help you find prosthetics (artificial body parts) that improve your function, comfort and confidence.

Podiatric treatments we offer

Our foot and ankle specialists offer complete, compassionate care, whether you have a straightforward condition or a complex diagnosis. We provide advanced treatments tailored to your needs, which may include:

Medication: We may recommend topical (cream) or oral (in pill form) medications, or a combination of both. We aim to prevent problems from returning (recurrence) with the best medication for your needs. Our experts consider your medical history and overall health before prescribing anything.

Cryotherapy: Our team uses cryotherapy to treat warts, most frequently in children. Cryotherapy quickly and easily removes warts using extremely cold nitrogen.

Custom orthotics, bracing and taping: We work with you to find the best support for your foot and ankle. This may involve custom shoe inserts, a brace or special taping techniques that we can teach you how to apply at home.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT): Podiatric surgeons use this noninvasive therapy to treat sports injuries, including bone, muscle and tendon problems. ESWT applies shock waves through a special wand. We place this wand over the skin around injured area to promote healing and reduce pain.

Foot and ankle surgery: We offer tendon procedures, including tendon transfers and tendon balancing, to optimize your movement. Our podiatric surgeons also remove parts of bone and take out tumors. In severe cases, we perform limb salvage procedures so you can live life to the fullest.

Meet our team

Our podiatric surgeons specialize in foot and ankle care and research. We provide expert treatment, whether you need a simple fix or advanced surgery. You can rely on us for comprehensive and quality care delivered with a compassionate approach.