Gerry’s Story

Nerve Procedure for Arthritis Foot Pain Provides Instant Relief

Gerry Lefteroff, a 71-year-old Taylor resident who retired from DTE Energy, prides herself in living a healthy lifestyle allowing her to spend time with family and travel to admirable destinations including Iceland, Rome and Mexico.

In recent years, there has been one main medical issue that has compromised her ability to walk and enjoy doing some of the things she loves like traveling.

“I have had increased arthritis pain in both of my feet that had gotten so bad, that when I would stand up from sitting down, I had to catch my breath from the pain,” explains Gerry.

Cortisone injections in both feet helped, and she would try to get the injections before traveling, however, it was not considered a long-term solution to ease her pain. And studies have shown that prolonged use of cortisone injections can cause bone and tissue degeneration over time.

Gerry was intent on exploring options and was intrigued when Nicole Brouyette, DPM, her podiatrist specializing in foot and ankle surgery at Henry Ford Health, offered her an alternative to traditional surgery which requires months of rehabilitation.

Nerve procedure offers immediate results

Dr. Brouyette explains arthritis, tendonitis, and bursitis, can trigger nearby nerves, sending pain signals to the brain.

To treat Gerry’s midfoot pain, Dr. Brouyette performed a partial joint denervation. The procedure entails making an incision only in the nerves that connect to the affected joints, which stops the pain.

“I have found that it is an attractive surgical option for patients like Gerry and has demonstrated promising results in the treatment of patients with symptomatic arthritis in my practice,” says Dr. Brouyette. “It is a shorter procedure - less than an hour – with a low complication rate. Gerry was able to walk on the foot immediately after the procedure.”

Gerry had the partial joint denervation procedure on her right foot which had the most pain in July of 2023 at Henry Ford Medical Center-Grosse Pointe.

The procedure was done on an outpatient basis. It was quick, but the relief was immediate.

“It went perfectly, and I’ve not had any pain in that foot since,” says Gerry. “My left foot does not seem to be hurting as much either, but I would not hesitate to have the procedure on my left foot if I need it down the road.”

She is now back to enjoying her favorite activities without seeking cortisone injections, most recently going on vacation for a destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas and walking for seven days without foot pain. Gerry is also happy to be able to wear some of her favorite shoes that she wasn’t able to do for many years.

“I had given up on flip flops but now I can wear them,” Gerry expresses. “I do make sure they are good ones that are comfortable.”

Gerry is grateful that her pain has been relieved and feels fortunate that Dr. Brouyette was able to offer this alternative to traditional surgery.

“I love Dr. Brouyette and Henry Ford,” she says. “Whether it’s Dr. Brouyette, my cardiologist, my primary care physician or any other specialist I have seen, I believe Henry Ford provides the best care I can get anywhere.”