The toenail fungus laser treatment works by using laser light which pass through the toenail and the surrounding tissue. The laser light is absorbed by pigment in the fungi, which causes the pigment to heat, resulting in damage to fungal organism. The process is relatively pain free and does not require anesthesia. The laser nail fungus treatment does not harm living tissue. Patients can simply walk in, have the procedure done, and then walk right out and go back to their normal activity as recommend by the doctor. The laser toenail fungus treatment usually takes only 30 minutes and is an out patient procedure performed in the our Orange County office. Toenail Fungus is considered an aesthetic condition by most insurance companies and therefore health insurance does not provide coverage for the laser toenail fungus treatment. Patients with Heath Savings Accounts or flexible spending accounts can often use funds from these type of accounts towards procedures such as the laser nail fungus treatment. Please feel free to contact the office and our friendly Orange County staff members would be happy to speak to you regarding insurance verification and payment options.

Health insurance does not cover the laser treatment toenail fungus. For people who have a Medical IRA or HSA (Health Flex Savings Account) funds from these types of accounts can usually be used for the laser treatment of fungal nails. Medicare and private insurance including HMO and PPO policies do not cover the laser nail treatments. Out of pocket expenses vary depending on the severity of the case. Please call of the Orange County office for a consultation and pricing for laser nail fungus treatments.

When shopping around for treatment of toenail fungus infections there are a couple things to keep in mind. Just like shopping around for any kind of doctor, some doctors will have more training and experience.  Would you let an untrained, inexperienced doctor using out dated and/or non-FDA cleared equipment work on your feet? Probably not, just like most people would not want an untrained, inexperienced mechanic using inadequate tools to work on their car. Questions to ask a potential toenail fungus laser treatment clinic or doctor are:

1. 1.What type of laser they are using, is it FDA cleared specifically for nail fungus?

Some “off label” lasers are FDA cleared for dermatology or podiatry but not specifically for nail fungus or Onychomycosis.

2. Is the laser toenail fungus treatment performed by a licensed doctor? How long has the doctor been doing the laser toenail fungus treatment?

If they have only been performing the treatment for less than six months, how are they judging success rates?  It can take anywhere from 3-12 months for nail growth to show clear healthy-looking nails after the laser nail fungus treatments.  Have the doctors seen positive results in their own patients? Do they have they own before and after pictures of actual laser toenail fungus treatment patients?

3. Does the doctor own or lease the laser equipment?

Be wary of fly-by-night doctors renting equipment and using shared office space. They may not be around long or have any experience. Dr. Jeffrey Kleis, DPM has over 25 years experience, owns all of his equipment, in his own office here in Orange County and has treated thousands of patients. Call today to schedule an appointment with Orange County’s most experienced laser nail treatment Podiatrist.

This new patented acoustic wave technology requires no anesthetic and has little or no discomfort. Patients of this treatment are generally able to walk and move around immediately and it generally takes approximately three 10-minute sessions before the pain is resolved.

Heel pain is an extremely common and potentially disruptive affliction that has many possible causes, including stress fractures, arthritis, nerve irritation, cysts, tendonitis and most often, plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the tissue that connects the heel to the toes becomes inflamed. This inflammation causes pain on the bottom of the heel that can continue to grow in intensity over time.

If you are experiencing heel pain, visit with one of our four offices to learn if you may be suffering from plantar fasciitis.

This Treatment is used by Professional Athletes, Sports Teams and Top Olympic Athletes.

Causes of Heel Pain include: inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or bursitis. Neuroma or nerve growth, Strenuous exercise, Obesity, Standing for long periods, Improperly fitting shoes and Stress fractures.

Both laser systems are FDA cleared for treating fungal nails (toenail fungus and fingernail fungus). Both share a similar 1064nm Nd-yag laser setting.  The system by Cutera has more features including adjustable spot size, higher watts settings (more powerful optional settings) and can also use a 1332nm wave length laser beam (which many companies/doctors claim works best for nail infections). The Pinpoint system is an older system which from the information available seems to be a modified dental laser, it only has one setting and the parent company of Pinpoint is a smaller less known company. Cutera is a publicly traded company on the New York stock exchange and claims to have over 10,000 laser systems installed worldwide.  The Cutera GenesisPlus™  system features a built in LED temperature gauge (which the Pinpoint system does not), this safety feature helps alert the doctor using the laser as to the heat of the nails during the procedure so that they do not overheat the nails and cause damage. Dr. Jeffrey Kleis, DPM helped design the Cutera GensisPlus laser and was the first doctor in Orange County to offer these laser treatments for fungal nails to patients.

Realistically, no legitimate doctor can guarantee 100% success with any procedure that deals with a contagious condition. The reason is that the laser treatment destroys the infection that is present, but if patients are not careful they can re-infect themselves.  Clinical studies on the laser treatment show success rates between 70%-88%, which is still higher than other treatment options on the market including oral medications and topical. Clinical studies also show less side effects compared with oral medications. Other things to keep in mind, when sorting through pages of reviews of laser toenail fungus treatments, many laser nail patients seem to forget that toenail fungus is contagious and in order for any treatment to be what most people would consider successful, they need to avoid re-infection. This means patients who want the nail fungus to go away would need to throw out or sterilize their shoes. Also, be careful to avoid walking barefoot through public locker rooms, showers, hotel carpets and anywhere else fungal spores like to live. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask our knowledge Orange County office staff members.

No; and this is where many nail fungus sufferers get confused. Not all lasers are the same, different doctors offer different laser treatments and they are not all the same. Only a few lasers currently on the market in the United States are FDA (Food and Drug Administration) cleared for treating fungal nails (Onychomycosis). These include the GenesisPlus™ laser system made by Cutera. Other medical laser manufactures have somewhat similar lasers that are used for laser hair removal, scars, warts, tattoo removal and other cosmetic purposes. Some doctors are using non-FDA cleared lasers for treatment of fungal nails, but this is what is known as “off label” use. These “off label” use lasers being marketed as treating toenail fungus may not have the same safety features and or clinical studies to back up effectiveness claims. In addition, the physicians marketing these lasers may not have the same level of training or experience as other physicians that are using FDA cleared laser devices for treatment of toenail fungus infections. Also, some laser clinics have nurses or medical assistants performing the laser treatments for nail fungus treatments, rather than a physician, usually a Podiatrist (foot and ankle specialist) or M.D. (Medical Doctor).  Podiatrists are most commonly the type of physician performing the laser treatment for toenail fungus as toenail fungus is the most common foot problem seen by Podiatrists (they look at feet all day).

When individuals begin to experience intense pain in their heel, many know that they have acquired plantar fasciitis. This ailment occurs when the plantar fascia ligament along the bottom of the foot develops tears in the tissue. This will result in pain and inflammation of the area closest to the heel bone.

The most common symptoms of plantar fasciitis include:

• Burning
• Stabbing
• An aching pain in the heel of the foot

The fascia ligament tightens up over night and therefore causes the most pain in the morning. Pain generally decreases as the tissue warms up, but oftentimes returns after long periods of standing or weight bearing and physical activity.

In most cases, treatment of plantar fasciitis doesn’t require surgery or invasive procedures to stop pain and reverse damage. Heel pain and plantar fasciitis can be treated SAFELY AND PAINLESSLY with the NEW Acoustic Wave Therapy!