Robert Kulwin, MD, foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon with The Christ Hospital Health Network.

Surgeon at The Christ Hospital Health Network Invents Surgical Template for Foot Surgery

Dr. Robert Kulwin Has Already Performed the Surgery at The Christ Hospital

CINCINNATI (April 26, 2023) – A surgical template for patients who qualify for specific foot surgeries is available at The Christ Hospital Health Network. Robert Kulwin, MD, foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon with The Christ Hospital Health Network, is leading the way with innovative technology to help improve outcomes for patients that suffer from pain in their feet.

The procedure is for patients who have pain under the ball of their foot and is also frequently needed to fix hammer toes. Currently, there are two ways this is done. One technique risks a non-union (when bones don’t heal together), or the other the risk of arthritis of the toe joints or the bone dying. According to Dr. Kulwin, there really aren’t many options to save or replace these joints once they deteriorate. That’s why he’s created the surgical template to avoid both non-unions and joint deterioration.

“This is simply a better way to do a procedure that has been done around the country for decades,” said Dr. Kulwin. “Having performed this specific surgery on a number of patients, this technique avoids injuring the joint, and early outcomes suggest it avoids non-unions as well.”

Jeff Dorsey suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, which displaces and moves many of his joints. His toes are constantly trying to “move up”, curling under his foot. Dorsey made an appointment with Dr. Kulwin who initially went with a more conservative approach recommending a specific type of shoe and an insert to wear. At first, it seemed to work but weeks later his symptoms came back and got even worse.

“I was having to compensate for the pain in my foot by walking differently which then started causing problems for my hip,” said Dorsey. “One day, I was at the grocery store to grab an item from the bottom of the shelf. The pain was so severe I could not get back up on my own. That’s when I knew I needed to explore surgery.”

Dr. Kulwin scheduled the outpatient surgery for Dorsey with his new device in December 2021. The procedure took less than an hour and has had a positive impact on Jeff’s life.

“Patients like Jeff who have already undergone this surgery at The Christ Hospital Health Network are seeing fast recoveries and excellent outcomes. Our goal is to provide the latest cutting-edge technology to get our patients active again. Many times, these patients are dealing with debilitating pain in their feet, and we haven’t yet seen the complications known to happen with traditional methods.”

Today, Dorsey is going through life without his symptoms reoccurring. He hopes his story inspires others to seek help if constant pain does not go away.

“If you’re starting to compensate for the pain, don’t wait to see a doctor. That’s only going to lead to even more issues down the road that will also need to be addressed.”

About The Christ Hospital Health Network

The Christ Hospital Health Network consists of an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of medical offices throughout the region. For more than 130 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves. Made up for more than 1,300 physicians and more than 6,500 team members, our mission is to improve the health of our community by providing exceptional outcomes in an affordable way. The Network was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region, named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list in 2023. It is also a Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award recipient, which recognizes top-performing healthcare organizations that achieve the 95th percentile or above of performance in patient experience.