Minimally invasive percutaneous surgery: Campania leads the revolution in foot surgery.

A shift is underway in the national and Campania healthcare landscape thanks to the joint work of three orthopedic surgeons who, during a meeting, presented the significant reversal of trends in minimally invasive foot surgery. They are Dr. Fabrizio Sergio (Head of Foot Surgery at the Minerva Clinic in Santa Maria Capua Vetere), Professor Fabio Zanchini (Professor of Orthopedics at the Luigi Vanvitelli University of Campania), and Dr. Attilio Sgambato (Director of the Orthotraumatology Department at the Athena Clinic in Piedimonte Matese). Together, they form a team capable of performing over 2,000 surgeries per year ; they have treated more than 25,000 patients over the past fifteen years. Their innovation and empathetic approach are changing the face of foot surgery, but they are also reversing a historical trend. In a field where hundreds of invasive techniques have been proposed for decades (approximately 200 for hallux valgus alone), science has now narrowed the field to a few certainties. Among these, minimally invasive percutaneous surgery has established itself as the gold standard: effective, rapid, with fewer complications and drastically reduced recovery times. "We were among the first to believe in, invest in, and promote this approach," the professionals explain, "authoring one of the first scientific studies in the world published on the subject and following up with numerous other publications in international journals, as well as with presentations at increasingly important international conferences." They are also co-founders of Sispec (Italian Society for the Study of the Foot and Ankle) and Grismip (Italian Study Group on Minimally Invasive Foot Surgery), two of the leading Italian societies for the study of the foot and ankle. Sergio, Zanchini, and Sgambato have developed a unique method, capable of adapting to various foot conditions —hallux valgus, metatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis, Morton's, Haglund's, and flat feet in children and adults—through an approach that minimizes invasiveness and maximizes functional results. Their techniques exclude the use of screws, plates, or metal wires: only small incisions and functional bandages to stabilize the bones. The result? The patient can walk immediately after surgery and recover in record time. But the true strength of this group of specialists is their ability to combine surgery and technology. One of their most advanced projects involves the design and use of artificial intelligence software to personalize and optimize the surgical procedure. Today, thanks to AI, surgeons are guided with pinpoint precision , speed, and precision in their movements to correct deformities. This is the definition of "personalized surgery." Surgical technique is no longer applied indiscriminately to everyone, but rather an AI-driven algorithm that guides surgeons based on the severity and type of deformity, the structure and type of foot, and bone quality. At the heart of the three doctors' daily work remains the patient's primary focus. A model of excellence, as stated in a statement, goes beyond mere surgical skill. While precision in operations is crucial, so too is a human approach, courtesy, and the warmth of a smile that reassures, guides, and comforts, making the patient feel not just like a number, but like a person at the center of a treatment journey.