Photography Cameron Flaisch
Some call them the old dogs, others refer to their ends as little piggies. We all sometimes forget how important they are to our overall health and staying upright while standing. Yes, the human foot is vital and—not counting the occasional rub down—we sometimes neglect the health of this integral part of our anatomy. Here in Northwest Georgia, we have a professional who reminds us all just how important these two extremities are and specializes in keeping them in healthy working order.
Podiatrist, and Foot and Ankle Surgeon Dr. Brian Middleton is the Director of the Medical Foot Care Center (211 Redmond Road) for the past 30 years. Dr. Middleton is focused on educating his patients and the public about the importance of foot health.
“We strive to be a “center of excellence,” says Dr. Middleton. “We will treat you like family, as we are very passionate about helping our patients improve their quality of life.”
Dr. Middleton and his staff provides comprehensive foot and ankle care. “We have modern technology, but we have an old school concern,” says Dr. Middleton when describing the culture of the office. One of the more modern concepts Dr. Middleton specializes in is minimally invasive surgery. The concept involves one of two things: either the smallest possible incision or direct access to the surgery area.
There are several advantages to minimally invasive surgery. These benefits include smaller incisions, less stress to tissue surrounding the surgery area, faster healing time and recovery, less pain, less anesthesia, and minimal scarring. Dr. Middleton is always looking for ways to provide minimally invasive surgery and is an area of his practice he is most excited about providing. He gives lectures around the country about his approaches to surgery, and makes sure everyone understands, “It’s a concept, not a procedure.” Ankle fractures, hammer toes, and bunions surgeries are all treatable with minimally invasive surgery.
With the bunion surgeries, he recommends the “Keyhole” Bunion Surgery. “There is virtually no scaring or pain, minimal swelling, and a quick recovery. This bunion correction procedure was developed in Europe, and we have modified and optimized the surgery using the minimally invasive surgery concept. The procedure corrects the bunion with only two or three small incisions. We are the only foot care center in Northwest Georgia that does scarless bunion surgeries,” says Dr. Middleton.
Initially, Dr. Middleton worked as an electrical engineer. “I loved it,” he says. “My mother had to have surgery on her foot, so I met the podiatrist who performed the surgery, picked his brain a little and found a new love.” Dr. Middleton loves to go to work every day. He works on a variety of things within podiatry, which essentially makes him a “multi-specialist.”
“As a Podiatrist, I deal in dermatology, orthopedics, neurology and more. I get the reward of interacting with many a different people, and I love it,” says Dr. Middleton.
Medical Foot Care Center is also a Diabetic foot care Center of Excellence, offering comprehensive care, along with surgery care when required. Before any actions are taken, Dr. Middleton and his staff will determine the cause and type of neuropathy a patient may have and develop a treatment plan. Type 1diabetes means your body does not make enough insulin and Type 2 means your body cannot use the insulin properly. “We can perform Nerve Decompression Surgery. This procedure restores sensation to your feet and limbs to treat diabetic neuropathy. Other diabetic foot care procedures can be performed on your toes, toe nails, nerves and ulcers,” Dr. Middleton explains.
Another condition Dr. Middleton treats is fungal nail care. “Traditionally, this has been treated by over-the-counter medications. Curing the condition, using the traditional method, could take up to two years, if it was cured at all. At Medical Foot Care, no treatment or medicine is prescribed before you have a nail biopsy to determine the type of nail fungus that you have. There are many different types,” Dr. Middleton says. “One of the more common fungi is fungus of the skin. This occurs from simple exposure to the environment, be that woods, water and whatever else your bare foot may come in contact with.”
You can also have fungus of the nail, which, while rare, can occur from the same issues as the fungus of the skin. Poor blood circulation can also cause fungus to grow on the nail. Dr. Middleton, before treating a condition that could potentially be a fungus of the nail, would first perform a culture of the nail to determine that it is not psoriasis, infection or some type of injury. If determined it is a fungus, Dr. Middleton has an 85 percent cure rate utilizing his laser fungus removal procedure. Using heat and photon energy to rupture the cells of the fungus, the procedure is much more likely to keep the aliment from returning.
Dr. Middleton’s office is equipped with an X-ray department and onsite surgical center. An additional service the office provides is a Fall Prevention Program for diabetics and those with arthritis issues. Medical Foot Care can perform ultrasounds of your extremities and perform full-scope, end-to-end care below the knee.
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Brian Middleton finished his residency in Atlanta where he was introduced to Rome by a fellow physician. He then decided that he “wanted to work in a small, friendly town,” while also deciding that he wanted to bring a state of the art facility and foot care center of excellence to the area. “I view Rome and the South as the area of real Americans. Hard working, friendly people,” says Dr. Middleton.
Outside of the office, Dr. Middleton has a passion for cameras and photography. He is a self-proclaimed adventurer and explorer also, having taken photos near and far and around the globe. So, no one knows the importance of keeping the old dogs in tip-top shape more than a man on the go.
He is a proud father of two children and is eager to serve your foot care needs in NWGA.
To schedule an appointment, contact the Medical Foot Care Center at 706-802-1800 or visit them on the web at www.medicalfootcare.com
