Podiatric surgeons routinely use electrosurgical devices to cut and coagulate tissue during surgical procedures. Although advances in technology have made electrosurgery increasingly safer for patients and personnel, its use is still poorly understood by those using it and the hazards associated with its use still exist presently. Human error, direct or indirect transfer of electricity to a conductive device, or device malfunction can cause serious adverse events, including burns, electrical shocks, and or fires. Here, we report a rare case of a 43-year-old man who suffered severe burns during hallux valgus surgery. The surgeon and the nursing staff did not notice any injuries during the surgical intervention. This case highlights the need to implement tools to help health professionals improve patient safety during surgery. Based on the case herein reported, a specific checklist was implemented to prevent adverse events related to electrosurgery in our podiatric unit to reduce the risk of electrosurgical complications.

This study highlights the importance of having a high clinical suspicion of hypercoagulopathy such as antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in podiatric patients with normal foot pulses and normal standard coagulation tests.APS is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by inflammatory thrombosis in the arteries and veins and obstetric complications such as pregnancy loss. APS usually affects vessels of the lower extremities. We report herein the case of a 46-year-old woman with previous episodes of pre-eclampsia who suffered from partial ischemic necrosis of the hallux of the left foot. After several ischemic episodes of the hallux, with increased risk of toe amputation, the patient was finally diagnosed with APS and treated with specific anticoagulant medication. The patient’s symptoms subsided, and toe amputation was prevented. Early accurate diagnosis and appropriate clinical management are critical to providing optimal outcomes and reducing the risk of amputation.