As a recognized specialist in foot and ankle surgery, Dr Wolfram Wenz has built up an international reputation over the course of his career – particularly in the treatment of all types of injuries, conditions and deformities of the foot. With his state-of-the-art specialist clinic Experts First, founded in 2020, the orthopedic specialist in Heidelberg offers an excellent range of diagnostic and therapeutic services, benefiting people from all over the world – including many children. There is scarcely a doctor anywhere in the world who possesses more experience and expertise than Dr Wenz, particularly when it comes to difficult and complex deformities. Thanks to his specialist knowledge, extensive experience and specialization, he is often consulted when cases appear hopeless or operations have been unsuccessful. He shared insights into his extensive expertise with the Leading Medicine Guide.
Leading Medicine Guide: Dr Wenz, let’s start with a question to which you will probably give two answers: Do you think high heels are attractive?
Dr Wolfram Wenz: For me, as an orthopedic surgeon, there’s really only one answer. Of course, high heels are the only thing that goes with certain outfits, and I do like them for aesthetic reasons too. But please, only once every two weeks – certainly not day in, day out. It’s simply terribly bad for the feet. Because the higher the heel, the greater the strain on the ankle joints, particularly in the forefoot area. The damage isn’t immediately noticeable; it only becomes apparent over the years. That’s why my earnest recommendation – and not just to the ladies – is to wear comfortable, flat shoes.
Leading Medicine Guide: Actually, there’s hardly anyone, especially in older age, who doesn’t complain about foot problems, is there?
Dr Wolfram Wenz: That is a problem of our civilisation. We don’t walk barefoot enough and, while we wear fashionable shoes, they are often too tight. Our feet take offense at this, and they change. Our foot is a highly complex unit comprising 33 joints and over a hundred tendons, ligaments and capsules. In standard footwear, this interplay is not sufficiently accommodated.
Leading Medicine Guide: You are an internationally recognized specialist in specific foot problems. A few years ago, you were given the nickname ‘Dr Foot’ in a television documentary. In all your years as a specialist in foot and ankle surgery and pediatric orthopedics, you have surely seen cases that others wouldn’t even dream of – but would rather have nightmares about.
Dr Wolfram Wenz: Indeed, I have certainly treated some of the most incredible medical cases. I dare say that I have seen the entire spectrum of foot deformities and abnormalities that exist in the world. And that is precisely what is so wonderful about my profession: I have been able to help these affected people. The result of my work is visible, which is fantastic. A surgeon in internal medicine doesn’t experience this so directly. Everyone can see how the patient can move and walk pain-free again. Being able to walk is quality of life. The feet are the foundation of movement. And if I can make that possible again, that’s something truly wonderful.
Leading Medicine Guide: And you don’t just treat adults. Parents from all over the world bring their children to you because of your expertise.
Dr Wolfram Wenz: Often, it is infants with specific orthopedic problems who are referred to me for treatment. And when I see them again as young adults, it really moves me. To see that I have been able to help. That is wonderful.
Leading Medicine Guide: What was perhaps your most spectacular case?
Dr Wolfram Wenz: Oh, I could list many cases from my decades of clinical experience. One case, which was also featured in the documentary ‘Die Knochendocs’, is that of a girl called Veronika. She suffered from a very rare condition, Proteus syndrome, which causes the feet to grow abnormally large. I operated on her several times over the years; in the end, she was able to wear normal trainers – that was her goal and a high bar for me. But we managed it. Veronika was a wonderful girl, intelligent, strong, with a very special charisma. She then went on to study law and was among the best in her year. The story is tragic, because she died from complications following cosmetic surgery. I had to operate on her so many times, and nothing ever happened. And then something like this. It makes me really sad.
Leading Medicine Guide: When you have such complicated cases, do you always know exactly how to proceed technically?
Dr Wolfram Wenz: During my time at Heidelberg University Hospital over a period of seventeen years, I certainly performed 450 operations a year. In the process, you really get to know the foot medically down to the smallest detail, and you learn what works and how, and what is needed for walking and what isn’t. Our feet are subjected to high levels of stress and strain. We have stance and swing phases, so the feet need to be both very mobile and very stable at the same time. And, surprisingly, we don’t need the middle toes at all for a good gait.
Leading Medicine Guide: Have you fulfilled a dream with your Experts First clinic in Heidelberg? To finally be able to practice the kind of medicine you want to practice?
Dr Wolfram Wenz: Yes, you could say that. It applies in several respects. First of all, the ambience has to be right: people should feel at ease here; it doesn’t look like a normal doctor’s surgery. The lighting and the lighting concept have to be right; the smell has to be pleasant. It doesn’t smell of medicine here, but of Red Berry. The sounds have to be pleasant. Then the substance has to be right. I bring nearly a decade’s experience as an orthopedic surgeon specializing in the foot and ankle, and my practice partner, Professor Dr Michael Akbar, brings his expertise in spinal and scoliosis surgery. So we complement each other well; we both have extensive experience in the high-end sector, and we know what we’re capable of. And thirdly: we work with the most modern diagnostics; we use the latest technologies. We always keep up to date, look at the latest equipment, test it and then decide what we want to use in our practice.
Leading Medicine Guide: Experts first in Heidelberg opened in 2020, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. How has the pandemic affected your practice?
Dr Wolfram Wenz: First of all, we weren’t able to hold an opening ceremony. That was a shame. Then, of course, we had few patients at the start, who also had to keep their distance from one another. So we allocated hourly slots to patients. And to be perfectly honest – I don’t want to go back from that now. When I take so much time for a patient, I really get to know them thoroughly and can treat them in a much more holistic and responsible way. I much prefer that.
Leading Medicine Guide: Your patients are privately insured and self-paying; do you also accept patients on the national health service?
Dr Wolfram Wenz: Yes, patients come to us on a self-pay basis – a trend that is, incidentally, growing rapidly. Or they are private patients. However, as Prof. Akbar and I do not wish to exclude anyone, we also have a service for patients on the National Health Service. They can then, if necessary, undergo surgical treatment at one of our NHS-funded clinics.
Leading Medicine Guide: Hallux valgus, commonly known as a bunion, is becoming something of a widespread condition. In this condition, the big toe shifts inwards, the bunion bulges outwards, and this is usually very painful. For you, hallux valgus is certainly one of the less challenging conditions – nevertheless, how do you treat it?
Dr Wolfram Wenz: Hallux valgus is also a lifestyle-related condition, and as I mentioned at the start, tight and ill-fitting shoes cause damage. When it comes to hallux, many doctors in my field focus solely on the big toe. Yet the instability lies in the first metatarsal bone. I once saw an orthopedic surgeon at a conference who had drawn the Leaning Tower of Pisa on a picture of a crooked toe. I found that very striking, because you wouldn’t go up to the Leaning Tower and cut something off the top to straighten it out. I use the Lapidus arthrodesis technique on my patients, which corrects and stabilizes the joint in three dimensions. I don’t like to talk about ‘stiffening’ – that always puts patients off. Fusion – in my experience – sounds better. When I show patients videos of all the movements that are possible again with a ‘fused’ joint, they see it in a different light. With Lapidus arthrodesis, I achieve long-term and lasting satisfaction among patients.
Dr Wenz, thank you very much for the interesting discussion on a topic that is of great importance to us all. You can contact the specialist directly via his profile page on the Leading Medicine Guide.
