📌Learn more about Bob Baravarian or request an appointment: www.docsfootankle.com

Most bunion surgeries that fail were not bad luck. They failed because the wrong procedure was chosen from the start. Before you book your surgery, there are five questions you need to ask your surgeon, and most patients never think to ask any of them.

In this episode, I'm going to walk you through the five questions you must ask before agreeing to bunion surgery, so you can avoid recurrence, unnecessary hardware, and a second surgery down the road.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 
0:00 Bunion Surgery in Los Angeles: What to Look For Before You Book
0:15 How many types of bunion surgery does your surgeon perform 
1:23 Why most patients never ask this question 
2:16 Does your surgeon use metal hardware 
3:20 Why nonmetal fixation matters for recovery 
4:00 Does the surgery fix the actual cause of your bunion 
6:08 What is your week to week recovery timeline 
7:08 Does your surgeon perform revision surgery 
8:12 Final advice before you book your surgery

❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED 

Q: What questions should I ask before bunion surgery? 
A: Ask how many types of bunion surgery your surgeon performs, whether they use metal hardware, whether the procedure realigns the bone or just removes the bump, what your week to week recovery will look like, and whether they perform revision surgery. Surgeons who only know one technique often cannot offer the correction your specific bunion needs.

Q: Why do bunion surgeries fail or come back? 
A: Most bunion recurrences happen because the surgeon only removed the bump without realigning the underlying bone, or because hypermobility in the joint was never addressed. A bunion is a misalignment of the joint, not just a bump, so the bone itself has to be corrected for lasting results.

Q: Is metal hardware necessary for bunion surgery? 
A: No, nonmetal fixation options like OssioFiber exist and integrate into your own bone over about two years. Ask your surgeon if a nonmetal option is available, and if they don't know about one, that is a sign they may not be up to date.

📱 RESOURCES 
Website: docsfootankle.com 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-baravarian-a49872354/ 
IG: https://www.instagram.com/lafootankle_surgeon/

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on foot and ankle health from a board-certified surgeon with 25 years of experience and over 25,000 procedures. Learn what actually heals, and what is just masking the problem.

ABOUT DR. BOB BARAVARIAN, DPM 
Dr. Bob Baravarian is a Board Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, based in Los Angeles. With 25 years of experience and more than 25,000 procedures performed, he is one of the few surgeons to hold both foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle certifications through the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. Dr. Baravarian serves as Chief of Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgery at Providence Saint John's Medical Center and has spent a decade co-developing the metal-free bio-integrative fixation technology behind the Ghost Bunionectomy. He advocates for the least invasive solution that actually resolves the problem, not the one that is easiest to administer.

#BunionSurgery #FootSurgeon #AnkleSurgeon #FootAndAnkle #LosAngelesDoctor

📌Learn more about Bob Baravarian or request an appointment: www.docsfootankle.com

You've stretched every morning. You bought the right shoes. You've probably had at least one injection that worked for a few weeks and then stopped. The problem isn't your routine. At some point, plantar fasciitis changed into a completely different condition, and nobody told you.

In this episode, I'm going to show you exactly what that change is, how to tell if it's already happened in your case, and what the tissue actually needs at this stage.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 
0:00 Why Your Plantar Fasciitis Keeps Coming Back No Matter What You Try
1:48 The time window most patients never hear about 
2:49 What actually happens to the tissue after the healing window closes 
3:27 Active inflammation vs. chronic scar tissue: two completely different conditions 
4:26 3-question self-assessment: which stage is your tissue in right now? 
5:45 Two patient profiles and what each one means for your treatment 
6:44 What the tissue actually needs at the chronic stage 
7:29 PRP, shockwave therapy, and stem cell injections: when each applies 
8:49 The question to ask before your next appointment

❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Why does plantar fasciitis keep coming back even when I do everything right? 
After 3 to 6 months of ongoing symptoms, the plantar fascia stops being inflamed and begins forming scar tissue. Scar tissue has no active blood supply or healing response, so stretching and anti-inflammatories stop producing results regardless of how consistently they're applied.

What is the difference between acute and chronic plantar fasciitis? 
Acute plantar fasciitis involves inflamed tissue that is actively trying to repair itself and responds to rest, stretching, and anti-inflammatories. Chronic plantar fasciitis involves dried-out scar tissue with no active healing response, requiring a categorically different treatment approach.

What treatments actually work for chronic plantar fasciitis? 
PRP injections, shockwave therapy, and amniotic stem cell injections are designed to restart the healing response in scarred tissue. These are not stronger versions of conservative care — they are built specifically for the chronic stage and address what stretching and cortisone cannot.

📱 RESOURCES 
Website: docsfootankle.com 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-baravarian-a49872354/ 
IG: https://www.instagram.com/lafootankle_surgeon/

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episode on foot and ankle health from a board-certified surgeon with 25 years of experience and over 25,000 procedures. Learn what actually heals, and what is just masking the problem.

ABOUT DR. BOB BARAVARIAN, DPM 
Dr. Bob Baravarian is a Board Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, based in Los Angeles. With 25 years of experience and more than 25,000 procedures performed, he is one of the few surgeons to hold both foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle certifications through the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. Dr. Baravarian serves as Chief of Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgery at Providence Saint John's Medical Center and has spent a decade co-developing the metal-free bio-integrative fixation technology behind the Ghost Bunionectomy. He advocates for the least invasive solution that actually resolves the problem, not the one that is easiest to administer.

#HeelPain #PlantarFasciitis #FootSurgeon #AnkleSurgeon #FootAndAnkle

📌 Learn more about Bob Baravarian or request an appointment: www.docsfootankle.com

PRP or stem cell injections. You've done your research. You've seen the price difference. And now you're stuck between two options with no one willing to give you a straight answer. After 25 years and more than 25,000 procedures, I have one.

In this episode, I'm going to walk you through what each treatment actually does, where each one breaks down in real patients, and why the more expensive option is not always the better one.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 
0:00 PRP vs. Stem Cell Injections for Foot Pain: What Nobody In This Industry Will Say
2:12 Why most stem cell products contain no actual living cells 
3:56 Why PRP fails and who is really to blame 
4:47 The real variable that determines results 
5:33 Five questions to map your situation to the right answer 
6:56 The verdict: which treatment wins for most patients 
9:05 What to do before booking any regenerative injection

❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED Is PRP or stem cell injection better for foot pain? 
For most foot and ankle patients, high-quality PRP from an experienced provider produces more reliable results. Many products marketed as stem cell injections contain no living cells, making the comparison far simpler than the price difference implies.

Do stem cell injections for foot pain actually contain stem cells? 
Often, no. A large portion of what gets sold as stem cell therapy in foot and ankle care is processed amniotic or biologic product with cells killed during processing. Patients frequently pay a premium for something that does not contain what the name implies.

What makes a PRP injection succeed or fail? 
PRP quality depends on how the blood is processed, where exactly the injection is placed, and whether the right healing protocol follows. Poor results almost always trace back to poor execution, not a flaw in the biology itself.

📱 RESOURCES 
Website: docsfootankle.com 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-baravarian-a49872354/ 
IG: https://www.instagram.com/lafootankle_surgeon/

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on foot and ankle health from a board-certified surgeon with 25 years of experience and over 25,000 procedures. Learn what actually heals, and what is just masking the problem.

ABOUT DR. BOB BARAVARIAN, DPM 
Dr. Bob Baravarian is a Board Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, based in Los Angeles. With 25 years of experience and more than 25,000 procedures performed, he is one of the few surgeons to hold both foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle certifications through the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. Dr. Baravarian serves as Chief of Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgery at Providence Saint John's Medical Center and has spent a decade co-developing the metal-free bio-integrative fixation technology behind the Ghost Bunionectomy. He advocates for the least invasive solution that actually resolves the problem, not the one that is easiest to administer.

#HeelPain #PlantarFasciitis #FootSurgeon #AnkleSurgeon #FootAndAnkle

📌Learn more about Bob Baravarian or request an appointment: www.docsfootankle.com

Most people with a bunion do one of two things: buy wider shoes and wait, or skip straight to surgery without understanding what else is available.

After 25 years and over 20,000 bunion surgical cases, I know exactly which starting moves save people years of unnecessary treatment and which ones let the deformity keep progressing underneath. There is one piece of information almost nobody gets before they start treating a bunion. Without it, every treatment decision is a guess.

In this episode, I'm going to walk you through exactly what I would do first if I had a bunion, in the order I would do it, and why each step sets up the next one.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 
0:00 If I Had a Bunion, This Is Exactly What I'd Do First
0:51 Why wider shoes reduce pain but do not slow the deformity 
2:32 Why orthotics prescribed without imaging are expensive guesses 
3:52 Four questions that tell you where your bunion sits on the severity spectrum 
4:49 Why delaying the decision makes the surgery more complex 
5:24 The one step I would not skip before any treatment 
6:23 Why weight-bearing X-ray matters: the bone angle changes when you stand 
7:25 What the imaging reveals and which path follows from each result 
8:28 Modern bunion correction without metal hardware 
8:45 Three things to do tonight to get started

❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Is a weight-bearing X-ray really necessary before treating a bunion? 
Yes. A bunion behaves differently when the foot is under load. The bone angle on a standing X-ray is not the same as what shows on a table, and that difference changes the treatment recommendation. Any provider making a plan without that image is treating a foot they have never actually seen.

Can a bunion be treated without surgery? 
It depends on severity, which is exactly why imaging comes first. A mild bunion with a mobile joint has real conservative options including proper orthotics, targeted footwear changes, and regenerative injections to slow progression. A severe bunion with narrowing joint space is a surgical conversation, and the longer that decision is delayed, the more complex the procedure becomes.

📱 RESOURCES 
Website: docsfootankle.com 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-baravarian-a49872354/ 
IG: https://www.instagram.com/lafootankle_surgeon/

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on foot and ankle health from a board-certified surgeon with 25 years of experience and over 25,000 procedures. Learn what actually heals, and what is just masking the problem.

ABOUT DR. BOB BARAVARIAN, DPM 
Dr. Bob Baravarian is a Board Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, based in Los Angeles. With 25 years of experience and more than 25,000 procedures performed, he is one of the few surgeons to hold both foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle certifications through the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. Dr. Baravarian serves as Chief of Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgery at Providence Saint John's Medical Center and has spent a decade co-developing the metal-free bio-integrative fixation technology behind the Ghost Bunionectomy. He advocates for the least invasive solution that actually resolves the problem, not the one that is easiest to administer.

#HeelPain #PlantarFasciitis #FootSurgeon #AnkleSurgeon #FootAndAnkle

📌Learn more about Bob Baravarian or request an appointment: docsfootankle.com

You've rolled the same ankle more than once. You did the exercises, wore the brace, and waited. Then it happened again.

That pattern is not bad luck and it is not a weakness problem. Every repeat sprain is adding damage to a ligament that no amount of strengthening was ever going to fix.

In this episode, I'm going to walk you through the 5 warning signs that separate a normal sprain from structural ligament damage, why standard physical therapy keeps failing for this specific group of patients, and exactly what to ask for before your next appointment.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 5 Warning Signs Your Ankle Sprain Is Doing Permanent Damage
0:47 Why the standard RICE protocol fails for repeat sprains 
1:45 Why strengthening exercises cannot fix a torn ligament 
2:51 The lateral ankle triad: what most practitioners miss entirely 
3:40 How untreated ankle instability becomes surgery you could have avoided 
4:54 Why the window to fix this cleanly is closing 
5:38 The 5 warning signs of structural ligament damage 
7:16 What to do if you recognized yourself in those signs 
8:27 The imaging you need: stress X-rays and ligament MRI 
10:22 How to protect your ankle right now while you get the right assessment

❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Why does my ankle keep spraining in the same spot? 
Repeat sprains to the same ankle point to structural ligament damage, not weakness. A torn ligament does not rebuild the way muscle does, so strengthening exercises cannot stabilize a joint where the ligament is no longer structurally intact.

What tests should I ask for after recurrent ankle sprains? 
Ask specifically for stress X-rays and an MRI of the ankle ligament. Stress X-rays show whether the joint is mechanically stable under load, and an MRI shows the actual condition of the ligament tissue. These two together give a clear picture of what is structurally happening.

Should I keep doing physical therapy if my ankle keeps giving out? 
Not without first confirming the ligament is structurally intact. PT for a misdiagnosed ligament tear does not fix the underlying instability. If the ankle has failed to stabilize after a genuine trial of conservative treatment, get proper imaging before continuing the same protocol.

📱 RESOURCES 
Website: docsfootankle.com 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-baravarian-a49872354/ 
IG: https://www.instagram.com/lafootankle_surgeon/

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on foot and ankle health from a board-certified surgeon with 25 years of experience and over 25,000 procedures. Learn what actually heals, and what is just masking the problem.

ABOUT DR. BOB BARAVARIAN, DPM 
Dr. Bob Baravarian is a Board Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, based in Los Angeles. With 25 years of experience and more than 25,000 procedures performed, he is one of the few surgeons to hold both foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle certifications through the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. Dr. Baravarian serves as Chief of Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgery at Providence Saint John's Medical Center and has spent a decade co-developing the metal-free bio-integrative fixation technology behind the Ghost Bunionectomy. He advocates for the least invasive solution that actually resolves the problem, not the one that is easiest to administer.

#HeelPain #PlantarFasciitis #FootSurgeon #AnkleSurgeon #FootAndAnkle

📌Learn more about Bob Baravarian or request an appointment: docsfootankle.com

Most patients are told bunion surgery means weeks on crutches, permanent metal in the foot, and possibly a second surgery later to remove it. That picture is based on how the procedure was done years ago. 

The hardware has been replaced, the recovery is fundamentally different, and most patients considering surgery never hear about any of this before they sign a consent form.

In this episode, I'm going to walk you through why standard bunion surgery still uses hardware that should already be obsolete, what the recovery actually looks like with the newer approach, and the four specific questions to ask your surgeon before agreeing to any procedure.


⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Why the cure sounds almost as bad as the problem
1:20 Why metal fixation was the gold standard and why that has changed
3:00 What metal hardware does inside the body once the bone has healed
3:26 How OssioFiber integrates completely into bone and then disappears
4:11 Why metal hardware is a major reason bunion surgery recovery is so painful
5:35 How bio-integrative fixation gets stronger over time instead of loosening
6:57 How to tell in your consultation whether your surgeon is using current hardware
9:10 The four questions to ask before signing anything
11:24 What bunion surgery recovery actually looks like when it is done right


❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Why do some bunion surgeries require a second procedure to remove the hardware?

Metal has no function once the bone has healed, but it remains in the foot permanently as a foreign object. Over time it can cause inflammation, cold sensitivity, or loosen out of position, and that typically requires a second surgery to remove screws or plates that are now causing problems.

What is bio-integrative fixation and how does it differ from metal screws?

Bio-integrative fixation like OssioFiber holds the bone in place with strength that matches or exceeds metal, then integrates completely into the bone over approximately two years. There is nothing left to remove, nothing for the body to react to, and no hardware remaining in the foot.

How do I know if my surgeon is offering the most current approach?

Ask directly whether metal-free or bio-integrative fixation is available for your specific procedure and what happens to the hardware once the bone heals. If those questions are dismissed without a clear explanation, that is worth a second opinion before you consent to anything.

📱 RESOURCES
Website: docsfootankle.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-baravarian-a49872354/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/la_foot_ankle_surgeon/


🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on foot and ankle health from a board-certified surgeon with 25 years of experience and over 25,000 procedures. Learn what actually heals, and what is just masking the problem.


ABOUT DR. BOB BARAVARIAN, DPM

Dr. Bob Baravarian is a Board Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, based in Los Angeles. With 25 years of experience and more than 25,000 procedures performed, he is one of the few surgeons to hold both foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle certifications through the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. 

Dr. Baravarian serves as Chief of Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgery at Providence Saint John's Medical Center and has spent a decade co-developing the metal-free bio-integrative fixation technology behind the Ghost Bunionectomy. He advocates for the least invasive solution that actually resolves the problem, not the one that is easiest to administer.


#BunionSurgery #GhostBunionectomy #FootSurgeon #AnkleSurgeon #FootAndAnkle

📌Learn more about Bob Baravarian or request an appointment: docsfootankle.com

Your plantar fasciitis treatment is not working because you may not have plantar fasciitis. Every month spent treating the wrong structure is another month the nerve becomes more sensitized and harder to treat.

In this episode, I'm going to walk you through why this misdiagnosis keeps happening, how to tell which structure is actually driving your heel pain using three diagnostic questions you can answer right now, and what needs to change if the nerve is involved.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 The heel pain misdiagnosis that keeps patients stuck for months
1:12 Why plantar fasciitis and calcaneal nerve entrapment feel identical
2:04 How stretching and cortisone make nerve entrapment progressively worse
3:13 Why the plantar fasciitis label shuts down the diagnostic process
4:27 What I keep finding when patients arrive after months of failed treatment
5:23 Three questions that tell you which problem you actually have
6:39 What two or more yes answers mean about your next step
7:03 Why nerve pain becomes harder to treat the longer it goes unaddressed
8:28 One position change tonight that reduces first-morning heel pain


❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Can nerve entrapment feel exactly like plantar fasciitis?

Yes. The calcaneal nerve runs alongside the plantar fascia, and when compressed, it sends pain to the exact same location. The distinguishing signs are a burning or tingling quality and pain that extends toward the inner ankle rather than staying in one tight spot.

What happens if calcaneal nerve entrapment goes untreated?

The nerve becomes progressively more sensitized. Pain can spread, intensify, and become harder to treat over time. Patients who finally get the right diagnosis after a year of treating the wrong structure are significantly harder to treat than those who get there early.

How do I know if my heel pain is the nerve or the fascia?

Look for burning, tingling, or an electric quality to the pain, and check whether it extends toward the inner ankle. If consistent plantar fascia treatment has failed after three or more months of real compliance, nerve tension testing and ultrasound imaging are the right next steps before any more treatment.

📱 RESOURCES
Website: docsfootankle.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/la_foot_ankle_surgeon/


🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on foot and ankle health from a board-certified surgeon with 25 years of experience and over 25,000 procedures. Learn what actually heals, and what is just masking the problem.


ABOUT DR. BOB BARAVARIAN, DPM

Dr. Bob Baravarian is a Board Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, based in Los Angeles. With 25 years of experience and more than 25,000 procedures performed, he is one of the few surgeons to hold both foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle certifications through the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. 

Dr. Baravarian serves as Chief of Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgery at Providence Saint John's Medical Center and has spent a decade co-developing the metal-free bio-integrative fixation technology behind the Ghost Bunionectomy. He advocates for the least invasive solution that actually resolves the problem, not the one that is easiest to administer.


#HeelPain #PlantarFasciitis #FootSurgeon #AnkleSurgeon #FootAndAnkle

📌 Learn more about Bob Baravarian or request an appointment: docsfootankle.com

If your doctor recommended a steroid shot for your heel pain, watch this before you say yes. After 25 years and more than 25,000 procedures, I started seeing a pattern I could not ignore. Repeated cortisone shots were leaving patients worse off than when they started.

In this episode, I'm going to walk you through the three reasons steroid shots keep failing heel pain patients, what they are actually doing to your tissue over time, and what treatment looks like when the goal is real repair, not temporary relief.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Why a Foot Surgeon Stopped Recommending Cortisone Shots for Heel Pain
1:07 Reason 1: Steroid Shots Mute the Pain Signal Without Healing the Tissue
2:05 Why Repeated Injections Make Your Plantar Fascia Progressively Worse
2:51 Reason 2: Cortisone Near the Achilles Is Directly Linked to Tendon Rupture
4:21 The Patient Pattern That Made Me Stop Giving These Shots
5:24 Reason 3: Three Types of Heel Pain and How to Tell Them Apart
7:29 Why Ultrasound Imaging Must Come Before Any Injection
8:16 The Fascia Load Protocol You Can Start Tonight
10:15 Regenerative Alternatives That Actually Repair the Tissue


❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Do steroid injections fix plantar fasciitis?

No. Steroid shots reduce inflammation temporarily but do nothing about the mechanical stress causing the problem. Repeated injections weaken the tissue itself, leaving patients in worse shape than when they started.

Can a cortisone shot cause Achilles tendon rupture?

Yes. Corticosteroids break down the collagen fibers in the tendon, making it structurally weaker even after the pain is gone. Patients who return to full activity after a shot are loading a tendon that has lost some of its structural integrity.

How do I know if my heel pain is plantar fasciitis, a nerve problem, or an Achilles issue?

Pain worst on first steps in the morning on the bottom of the heel points toward the plantar fascia. Burning, tingling, or numbness along the heel points toward nerve entrapment, which is frequently misdiagnosed as plantar fasciitis.


📱 RESOURCES
Website: docsfootankle.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/la_foot_ankle_surgeon/


🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on foot and ankle health from a board-certified surgeon with 25 years of experience and over 25,000 procedures. Learn what actually heals, and what is just masking the problem.


ABOUT DR. BOB BARAVARIAN, DPM

Dr. Bob Baravarian is a Board Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, based in Los Angeles. With 25 years of experience and more than 25,000 procedures performed, he is one of the few surgeons to hold both foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle certifications through the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. 

Dr. Baravarian serves as Chief of Podiatric Foot and Ankle Surgery at Providence Saint John's Medical Center and has spent a decade co-developing the metal-free bio-integrative fixation technology behind the Ghost Bunionectomy. He advocates for the least invasive solution that actually resolves the problem, not the one that is easiest to administer.


#HeelPain #PlantarFasciitis #FootSurgeon #AnkleSurgeon #FootAndAnkle