Welcome to the personal website of

Dr. Michael A. Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS, FACFAOM

Thank you for visiting the web site of Dr. Michael Zapf. He is a member of the Agoura-Los Robles Podiatry Centers

The "real" practice web site, the one that contains registration forms, doctor information for all the office and directions to the office is located at:

www.conejofeet.com   ç Click here

I am Dr. Michael Zapf. I have been offering a full range of podiatric medical services, from ingrown nails to heel pain and foot surgery, to my friends and neighbors in the Las Virgenes, Conejo and Simi Valleys since 1985. This is my personal web site. It has been up since 1990 and has received more than 2 million visits. The entire site is my responsibility only and nearly everything on the site was written by me. You are welcome to peruse this site and learn what you can about me, your feet and the problems your feet can develop. Things happen fast in medicine so whatever you read could well be outdated, especially if it was written many years ago. On this site you will read historic articles that I wrote for a lay audience as long as 25 years ago, so please do not take anything on this site as definitive or as applying directly to your condition. You may wonder why I have my own site even though there is also an official practice site. Well, my partners are of a younger generation raised on tweets, e-mails and iPhones. They want a professional site that they believe better represents the professional nature of our practice. They also believe that people no longer take the time to read anything of length. I, on the other foot, think there is still a world out there full of people who still read lengthy descriptions of problems and solutions. if you are one of those old fashioned readers, then this site if for you. Let me know what you think. Let me know you are out there.

Please note that all information and photographs on this site are copyrighted by me, Michael Zapf, DPM, and cannot be used for any private or commercial purposes. I work with two other podiatrists in my practice who may or may not share any of my ideas and philosophy. Do not expect them to practice the way I do or even believe in any of the speculation I present here. If you appreciate what I have written and want me to be your treating doctor, you will have to ask for me specifically. Even if my office says at first, " He is booked until next month",  I still want to see you as long as you are a little flexible with your schedule. If your visit is an emergency, I know that  you will be happy with either of my associates, Dr. Darren Payne or Dr. Steve Benson. They are exceedingly well trained and capable in any foot emergency.

Michael Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS, FACFAOM     (If you want to know what all those initials mean, click here   è  

Our office phone number is (818) 707-3668 and my e-mail address is zfootdoc [at] doctor [dot] com

Agoura Hills Office: 28240 Agoura Road, Suite 101, Agoura Hills, CA 91301

Thousand Oaks Office: 555 Marin Street, Suite 290, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

For the address, hours and registration forms please see the practice web site: www.conejofeet.com

07/24/2010

To Order Foot Supplies è ç click

For Information about Laser Treatment for Fungal Nails Click hereè
 

For information about Shockwave Therapy for heel pain          click here è

Exciting news!!! New Thousand Oaks Location  è

The above letter was received in January 2002. My comments are written in italics. 

Dear Doctor

 I have viewed the pictures relating to the bunion operations and wish my 82 year old mother did not have to suffer the way she is suffering now, after a bungled bunion operation that  was carried out about four years ago here in the UK.  The pin that was put in the right toe to straighten it (As I stated in my monograph pins, also called K-Wires, can be used to hold the bones in place after a bunion surgery. The hazard with these pins is twofold: they can get infected and they can break. Since they are protruding from the skin they can be a source of a foot infection during the two to six weeks they are in place. And since they are only the thickness of a thin shirt hanger wire they are subject to breaking if bent too much. This seems to be what happened to your mom. When they break off they can sometimes be retrieved, This might take a second surgery. If they are entirely embedded in the bone they can be safely left alone. If the end of the wire rubs the bone, however, arthritis is a likely result. This might have happened to your mother. I avoid using any wires that stick out of the skin at the time of bunion surgery.)  (both feet were  operated on at the same time) (Also I avoid doing both feet a the same time whenever feasible. When both feet have been operated on there is no "good foot" to stand on.) broke off during removal after the operation and  was left there for over two years, despite her complaints about pain and  there being visual swelling under the sole of her right foot and tenderness, during this time she was also given injections in the toe for what was described as a trapped nerve whilst the pin still remained. But an eventual operation proved  the pin was still left in the toe. (This should have been easily detected with an x-ray).

Since then the sole part underneath the left big toe continues to be very  tender and painful, there  is sometimes swelling of the ankle and sharp stabbing pains along the foot area and also her back  because of the imbalance in her posture. She now walks by the aid of a walking stick but tend not to use it at home only when she goes out. (Do you know if the x-ray shows that the pin in in the joint between the toe and the foot i.e. the first metatarsophalangeal joint?)

Is there any treatment to assist what she has been told is a damaged nerve in the toe, apart from undergoing another operation to perhaps have the nerve removed, although I do not feel this is advisable at her age? (Obviously this is impossible for met to say as I cannot see or examine the foot. If you ruled out the pin involvement with the bone, then the possibility of a nerve involvement is more likely).

Unfortunately, there is not much cooperation in putting this damage right and her suffering concerns me immensely.  I would be so grateful for any advice you are able to give and I appreciate without carrying out an examination personally, it is difficult to give a diagnosis, but the symptoms are as I have  described them above. (Monica, I am sorry I am not of much help. Perhaps a second opinion with a different surgeon would help you. If the pain is due to the damage caused by a retained pin in the wrong location, then it is unfortunately too late. If the pain is a trapped nerve, then perhaps a surgery would help. But first try a few cortisone injections. And there is even the possibility that a series of sclerosing injections for the nerve pain would help. See my page on sclerosing. I am sorry about your mom's pain. I wish there was something I could do.)

Yours most grateful.

Send mail to (zfootdoc at doctor dot com) with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2000 Michael A. Zapf, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S., F.A.C.F.AOA.M.
Last modified: July 24, 2010