Caitlin Whyte (Host): Welcome to Memorial Health Radio with Memorial Health System, Ohio. Today, we're thrilled to have one of our esteemed podiatrists, James Pipes on the show. He will guide us through the intricacies of foot and ankle health. Get ready to step into the fascinating world of podiatry and learn everything you need to know to keep your feet happy and healthy.

Well, thank you so much for joining us today. Can you start off our episode by telling us what a podiatrist is and are there different types?

James Pipes, DPM: Yeah, so a podiatrist is a specialist of the lower extremity. Basically we had extensive studies and education on relatively below the knee with a focus more on the foot and ankle, and that's what we treat. Anything from general foot and ankle problems such as like your basic wear and tear pain to things that are like advanced surgeries, reconstructive surgeries, advanced wound care and other aspects like that.

With that being said, there are different podiatrists, even though our general education is relatively the same throughout our medical colleges; tend to branch out in residency or even in fellowship, as well as own personal interests to subspecialize. There are surgeons, and that's the majority of podiatrists, at least in this country, and that's what our specialty kind of gears more towards is more of a surgical specialty. So anything of the foot and ankle and lower extremity related, below the knee, we can be trained to perform those, and that could be anything from your elective bunion and hammer toe surgeries to reconstructive foot surgeries, ankle surgeries, and we even can sub specialize in other realms.

I had a professor who was sub specialized in dermatology and would treat and diagnose symptoms of the skin of the lower extremity. I myself have sub specialized in advanced wound care, focusing a lot of my attention on diabetic wounds, vascular wounds, traumatic wounds, and doing anything from evaluating and treating those to even doing surgical techniques, even plastic surgery to help heal people in that aspect.

Host: Well, let's go more into that education aspect. What education and training are required to be a podiatrist?

James Pipes, DPM: Podiatry is a four year postdoctoral degree. It is a medical college because you do graduate a physician. It differs in the sense it is not an MD or DO degree, it is a doctor of podiatric medicine. It is four years and a majority of people move on to a three year residency, that are offered at various hospitals and institutions throughout the country. Some people even go further to do fellowships, which can last anywhere from like two to three years beyond residency. So it is an extensive education after undergraduate college.

And then, you can even subspecialize after then in fellowships. We do also cover, you know, the whole body as an MD or DO does usually in our first year as well as in residency. We do off rotations, like, for instance, I've done vascular surgery rotations, dermatology, family medicine, and actually have seen patients in that realm too, to get a broader understanding of everything, but just like a specialty, once you get out of your education, you do practice focusing on your primary specialty.

Host: Great. So what does a podiatrist actually do, or why would I or someone seek out their care? 

James Pipes, DPM: So, a podiatrist, is a physician, a specialist of the foot and ankle disorders. So, really, any kind of issues that are related to foot, ankle can be seen by a podiatrist. And that could be anything basic like heel pain, plantar fasciitis, which is one of the more common types of disorders that we see, to bunion deformities. But we can also see things like flat foot, high arches, ankle instability, and in my case, wound care, diabetic foot ulcers. We do see those quite a bit. You know, it's not uncommon to have a skin disorder that we would typically see initially and make a determination if a dermatologist would be more appropriate.

So it really is in a sense, even though a specialty, it, it, kind of delves into more of a multi faceted type of specialty.

Host: And can podiatrists perform surgery then?

James Pipes, DPM: Yes, most podiatrists in the country do perform surgery. And that specialty is especially being more gravitated towards a surgical specialty, within the past 10, 20 years. Initially it was meant to be more of something like a medical specialty where we would be heavily clinic based and there are still podiatrists in this country that don't perform any kind of surgeries. And there are some even now coming out of school that, that choose not to perform any kind of surgical intervention.

Majority of the rotations and residencies, though, are very heavily based on performing surgeries and, and that is something that most if not all of us really tend to see especially if patients have failed any and all kinds of conservative treatment.

Host: And what are the differences then between a podiatrist and an orthopedist?

James Pipes, DPM: The difference is that, an orthopedist, especially one that would be sub specializing in foot and ankle surgery. There are quite a bit of similarities and differences in, in that aspect. An orthopedist is an medical doctor, an MD, or a DO. They undergo four years of a traditional medical college and residency typically for them would be quite longer, typically a five to seven year residency. However, they do have quite a bit more focus on the entire musculoskeletal system, whereas we have really honed in on the lower extremity. In a sense, the similarities would be that ours, too, is a four year school. We do go through different specialty rotations, we do study and learn the entire body.

But once we get into residency and eventually out into practice, it does become very large, I mean, heavily weighted. As far as surgeries there are typical surgeries that both podiatrists and orthopedic surgeons can perform, such as ankle fractures or reconstructive surgeries. Whereas, you know, we have focused more so on the lower extremity.Another aspect is that, you know, as far as like the other type of conditions that we see, an orthopedic surgeon wouldn't necessarily see certain things such as like dermatological issues or even at some times, wound cares. They typically like to focus more on the musculoskeletal aspect of it.

Host: Great. And just to wrap us up today, tell us about the podiatry team at MHS, your providers, offerings, locations, anything you'd want current patients or future patients to know? 

James Pipes, DPM: Sure. So there are five physicians and we also have our Physician Assistant, Garrett Kerr, as well as our Nurse Practitioner, Brittany Marlowe. There's myself as well as Dr. Charles Penvose, Dr. Nicholas DiMassa, Dr. Ian Aveytua, and Dr. Timothy Graham. We have various locations.

Our main locations are within the Marietta Hospital, as well as our center in Belpre. But we also have outreach clinic locations in Caldwell, Ohio, where Dr. DiMassa periodically will go out there to perform clinic, Sistersville, West Virginia at Sistersville General Hospital, where I actually do outreach weekly, and then now we have our location in Athens that, just opened, where Dr. Penvose actually will treat patients a few days a week. Dr. Aveytua and myself as well as Dr. Graham, are in the wound care centers in Marietta, Belpre, and I am also in the wound care center in Sistersville which is a whole different entity from our podiatry clinics, but we do offer those type of care. And, you know, as far as, like, what we can see, you know, we, tend to say, we can see anything, that is lower extremity related. Anything from, you know, a diabetic foot exam to contemplating surgical reconstruction. We, are here for the community.

We definitely can also accommodate same day, next day, could be seen at any of our locations. And I think that is the benefit especially in the areas of Marietta and Belpre that we are so close, you can be seen in either one of our locations if one of our providers has availability.

And usually one of them does and be happy to see people if they were to call in and schedule an appointment. 

Host: Wonderful. Well, thank you so much for joining us today and for all of the work that you do. That wraps up this episode of Memorial Health Radio with Memorial Health System, Ohio. Head on over to our website at MHsystem.org/podiatry, to find more information and to get connected with one of our providers. Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all of the other Memorial Health System, Ohio podcasts.