Orthopedic surgeon, Orlando Foot and Ankle Clinic
Posted by Orlando Medical News on August 8th

Andres Perez has known since he was in high school in Bogota, Columbia, that he wanted to become a physician. He always had a desire to study medicine, he said, and his parents impressed upon him their desire to have at least one physician in the family.

Perez followed through, graduating from medical school at Xavier University in Bogota. And the fact that his younger brother became a dentist was a bonus milestone in the Perez household, where dad Leonidas was an accountant and mom Elvira Gomez was a homemaker.
But it was not until after he completed residencies in orthopedic, sports and trauma medicine in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Bogota that Perez decided to put his best foot forward, so to speak, pursuing his current specialty in Miami as a podiatrist and reconstructive foot and ankle surgeon.
“After almost 10 years in practice in Colombia, we decided to move to the USA and get back in school again,” said Perez, 47. The “we” he referred to is his wife, Martha Melendez-Perez, an ear, nose and throat physician. He concluded his required extra training for 6 years in the Miami area, while his wife was “dedicated to the growth of my family,” he said. The couple have three children, two girls and a boy, now aged 17, 15 and 10, respectively. “Little by little,” Perez said, “we got back to the level we had before,” referencing his medical practice in South America.

Although Perez had family in Miami, in 2006 he accepted a position at the Orlando Foot and Ankle Clinic. “I was looking for a city that was more quiet. I loved visiting (Orlando) and it was great to see how people who work here live. I have met many interesting people,” he said, including the partners at the clinic who “liked my experience. They wanted someone with maturity and experience, and I was looking for something similar,” he said.

Perez does many of his surgeries at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital in Orlando. “I like that hospital. It’s a good feel for me and my patients,” he said, “because the outcomes are good” and the hospital administration and staff have given him the support and resources he needs to do his best work.
Perez’ work at Orlando is varied and includes ankle and foot reconstructions both from trauma and disease cases. “We see a lot of diabetic patients who have circulation and sensitivity loss,” he said. I work very closely with vascular surgeons to increase circulation so we can save limbs” from amputation, he said.
Perez also enjoys the sports medicine aspect of his practice because many of the patients are young. “I love helping the kids,” said the physician who played team volleyball when he was in high school.
Perez, an active member of the First Baptist Church of Orlando, said he also “loves the opportunity to serve on medical missions to bring hope to communities that need the help I can give them.” He traveled to the Dominican Republic in November, near the Haitian border. There were many orthopedic deformity and trauma cases, he said, and many patients had come from Haiti. He is going back to the Dominican Republic later this year, he said, to oversee a triage in preparation for a trip in February when he will perform more pro bono surgeries.

Perez said he and his wife, who is developing a home healthcare business, are very involved in their children’s activities, which include sports. But the watchful parents also are encouraging the youngsters’ interest in the healthcare industry. The two oldest are considering medical school, he said, and the youngest has his sights set on being a specialized businessman. “He tells me ‘I will take care of all your business,’” Perez laughed. Regardless of what profession his children aspire, Perez said, the important thing is that they “try to be excellent in anything they want to do.”

His responsibilities at work and at home consume much of his free time, but when he can, Perez said he likes to play golf, take his family to the beach, “or a getaway with my wife.”
Asked if he has a goal or idea that he has not had time to pursue, Perez said he would welcome “the opportunity to create a new surgical technique or device” that would “improve results and improve the quality of life” for his patients.

To see the entire article and the rest of Orlando Medical News site please click here.


 

The STAR™ Ankle is used world-wide for more ankle replacements than any other device. It has a long clinical history - the current design has been in use for over 20 years, and prior generations of the STAR were approved for use as early as 1978. The STAR is the only 3-piece mobile bearing total ankle available in the United States, as approval for such a device in the US requires a rigorous FDA PMA process that is very expensive and time-consuming. The process to get the STAR approved took nearly 10 years, and was approved in 2009.

The STAR has been well documented and analyzed in papers. 85% of papers analyzing commonly used total ankle devices in the United States focus on the STAR. One of the best ways to understand the effectiveness of joint replacements is to consider a statistic called the ‘survivability’ of the implant – which is the likelihood that a device will remain implanted for a particular number of years. The STAR has been shown in clinical papers to have a 90% likelihood to remain implanted for 10 years. No other total ankle replacement approved for use in the US has published any survivability information for their implants. 

There have been over 18,000 implants of the STAR worldwide over the last 20 years. The system was approved by the FDA in May 2009, and since then, numerous studies have illustrated safety, efficacy, and long term results.

Contact our office for more information 407-423-1234

Heel Pain: You Don't Have to Live With It
Written By: Dr. Childs

Your heel pain may have started days, weeks or even months ago. Maybe at first you felt a dull ache that went away. Now, you may have intense pain every day. Maybe it is worst with your first step in the morning, or it may get worse as they day goes on. In any case, heel pain can make walking or exercising unbearable, but you don’t have to live with it.
Causes
Heel pain is a common problem that affects people of all ages. There are many causes including injuries, excess weight, or the way your feet and legs move. If your heel moves too little or too much, it can cause other parts of your foot or leg to function incorrectly. Over time, this stress from poor foot function can lead to tearing of ligaments or tendons in the heel. For some people, daily use is enough to weaken these tissues. For others, a direct injury or sprain can cause the problem. In all cases, being overweight or walking barefoot can aggravate these problems.  Treatment goals are designed to reduce this abnormal pull on the ligaments and tendons.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar Fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. The plantar fascia is a ligament that runs from your heel bone to the ball of your foot.  Inflammation of this ligament is what causes the pain. The bottom of your heel may hurt when you stand. The pain usually lessens after you walk a few steps, but may return over time. Over time, prolonged inflammation may cause tearing, scar tissue formation, and even a heel spur.
Treatment of this condition is designed to reduce the inflammation, pain, and swelling of the ligament. Initially, you may be prescribed stretching and icing exercises, medications, or special inserts for your shoes. The right footwear is important as well. Going barefoot and wearing flip-flops are major causes of heel pain. Generally running or walking shoes with laces and a rigid arch are best. You should also get rid of any shoes that are heavily worn down as they are often more harm than good. As part of your treatment plan, your podiatrist may suggest certain types of footwear or arch supports that are best for your foot type.
Plantar Fasciitis usually responds to conservative care, and less that 5-10 percent of people that have heel pain ever need surgery.  In fact, if your heel pain has not gotten better, it may be because you don’t have the typical plantar fasciitis. Other causes of heel pain include Achilles tendon problems, stress fractures, chronic instability of the ankle, and even nerve problems such as nerve entrapment syndromes. Check with your podiatrist if the pain persists to make sure you don’t have one of these other problems.
Chronic Heel Pain
Chronic heel pain is pain that has not gone away over 6 months. Usually when someone has plantar fasciitis for a prolonged period of time, or has had an injury from trauma or overuse, they often develop scar tissue like changes to the plantar fascial ligament. Runners are especially prone to this. In these cases, the patient no longer has plantar fasciitis, but in fact really has plantar fasciosis. In cases of plantar fasciosis, there is no inflammation present, but rather degeneration of the ligament has occurred. This is the point where many people are forced with the decision to either live with the pain or have surgery. However, there is another minimally invasive option.
A New Treatment Option: TOPAZ
If you have suffered with heel pain and thought you were limited to either being stuck with the pain or having  painful surgery, you may have another option called TOPAZ.  TOPAZ is a quick, simple and minimally invasive medical technique available for the trearment of tendons and fascia. The TOPAZ microdebrider utilizes patented Coblation technology designed to specifically treat tendons and fascia. The TOPAZ MicroDebrider is the only radiofrequency device indicated for the debridement of soft tissue and has been performed in over 85,000 cases. The procedure is a single application and requires no incision. The technique has been associated with quick return to daily activities allowing for significant improvement in patient outcomes.Since obtaining original FDA clearance in 2002 and expanded indications for tendonotomy in 2005, TOPAZ has offered a minimally invasive alternative for thousands of patients for the treatment of tendons and fascia.
If you are interested in discussing your heel pain or want more information about the TOPAZ procedure, call Orlando Foot and Ankle Clinic at 407-423-1234.

The Saranita family is happy to announce the newest addition to their family. Alexandria Mila Saranita was born on 3/30/11 at 12:37pm.  She was 7lbs 3oz and 17 3/4 inches long.

Orlando Foot and Ankle Clinic is a proud Sponsor of the West Orange High School Baseball Team.  Good Luck at your remaining games!

For an offical team schedule go to http://www.westorangebaseball.net

 

"Happy Feet: Your Guide to Healthy Feet" by Andres Perez, DPM.  Dr. Andres Perez will discuss proper footwear, corns & calluses, ingrown nails and diabetic foot care. Light refreshments will be sponsored by Dr. Phillips Hospital. Join Dr. Perez on Wednesday, April 13th at 12 noon at the Somerset Clubhouse for this informational presentation.