Welcome to the personal website of

Dr. Michael A. Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS, FACFAOM

Thank you for visiting the web site of Dr. Michael Zapf. He is a member of the Agoura-Los Robles Podiatry Centers

The "real" practice web site, the one that contains registration forms, doctor information for all the office and directions to the office is located at:

www.conejofeet.com   ç Click here

I am Dr. Michael Zapf. I have been offering a full range of podiatric medical services, from ingrown nails to heel pain and foot surgery, to my friends and neighbors in the Las Virgenes, Conejo and Simi Valleys since 1985. This is my personal web site. It has been up since 1990 and has received more than 2 million visits. The entire site is my responsibility only and nearly everything on the site was written by me. You are welcome to peruse this site and learn what you can about me, your feet and the problems your feet can develop. Things happen fast in medicine so whatever you read could well be outdated, especially if it was written many years ago. On this site you will read historic articles that I wrote for a lay audience as long as 25 years ago, so please do not take anything on this site as definitive or as applying directly to your condition. You may wonder why I have my own site even though there is also an official practice site. Well, my partners are of a younger generation raised on tweets, e-mails and iPhones. They want a professional site that they believe better represents the professional nature of our practice. They also believe that people no longer take the time to read anything of length. I, on the other foot, think there is still a world out there full of people who still read lengthy descriptions of problems and solutions. if you are one of those old fashioned readers, then this site if for you. Let me know what you think. Let me know you are out there.

Please note that all information and photographs on this site are copyrighted by me, Michael Zapf, DPM, and cannot be used for any private or commercial purposes. I work with two other podiatrists in my practice who may or may not share any of my ideas and philosophy. Do not expect them to practice the way I do or even believe in any of the speculation I present here. If you appreciate what I have written and want me to be your treating doctor, you will have to ask for me specifically. Even if my office says at first, " He is booked until next month",  I still want to see you as long as you are a little flexible with your schedule. If your visit is an emergency, I know that  you will be happy with either of my associates, Dr. Darren Payne or Dr. Steve Benson. They are exceedingly well trained and capable in any foot emergency.

 

Michael Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS, FACFAOM     (If you want to know what all those initials mean, click here   è  

Our office phone number is (818) 707-3668 and my e-mail address is zfootdoc [at] doctor [dot] com

Agoura Hills Office: 28240 Agoura Road, Suite 101, Agoura Hills, CA 91301

Thousand Oaks Office: 555 Marin Street, Suite 290, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

For the address, hours and registration forms please see the practice web site: www.conejofeet.com


07/24/2010HomeNews+FAQShock Wave

 

To Order Foot Supplies è ç click

For Information about Laser Treatment for Fungal Nails Click hereè
 

For information about Shockwave Therapy for heel pain          click here è

Exciting news!!! New Thousand Oaks Location  è

 

 

Alda 1.jpg (33868 bytes)Sometimes a small cyst or ganglion will form on the toes at the joint just behind the toe nail. If punctured a thick gelatinous fluid escapes. These are technically tiny toe ganglions but in this location they are more correctly knows as a mucked cyst. They are frequently treated by a "puncture" and the injection of a bit of cortisone. Unfortunately they often recur. A more permanent correction involves the removal of a little bone.  This second picture is a copy of the x-ray of this patient's toe. In this patient there is an unusual proliferation of bone at this joint. This lady has a diagnosis of osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease). The swelling in this part of the toe is called Heberden's Nodes.

 

 

alda 2.jpg (13485 bytes) In the picture the same 4th toe as pictured above has been raised so that you can see if from the side.

Solving this problem will require a "hammertoe" surgery that can be done in the office with local anesthesia or the surgery center under local anesthesia with a bit of sedation. A surgical shoe will need to be worn for a week or two followed by a tennis shoe for another week or so.

This is a photograph of another woman with a little  ganglion on her the inside of her right 4th toe. It is that little swelling just below the center of the picture.

I injected this lesion with a little cortisone twice and it has remained steadfast. She has elected to remove the lesion and I can do this under local anesthesia right in the office. To learn how I can anesthetize this toe with the least amount of pain see -->

Mucoid cyst.jpg (115677 bytes)

Double click this to see a 

mucoid cyst on the top of a toe in all its glory. This is a fluid filled cyst that balloons out from the underlying joint (much like the inner tube of a bicycle tire can squeeze out between the cracks of an old tire).  Sometimes these pesky little things will go away by puncturing the cyst with a needle (of course, after anesthetizing the toe first!) and injecting a drop or tow of cortisone. Most of the time they come back after this kind of I&D (incision and drainage) and they need to be removed surgically. Even surgery will fail if you are not aggressive and take the entire cyst, down to the bone.

   

 

 

 

 

 

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Send mail to (zfootdoc at doctor dot com) with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2000 Michael A. Zapf, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S., F.A.C.F.AOA.M.
Last modified: July 24, 2010