Floppy toe as a result of his surgery. Run as fast you can.

Submitted June 16, 2022

Dr. Poling did unnecessary foot surgery on my son. My son had ingrown toenail, Dr. Pollun told us my son has a bone spur on his large toe and he needs surgery. We believed him and did the surgery. Next time we went to him for ingrown toenail on the other foot, Dr. Pollun told us he did an X-RAY, and my son has a bone spur on his big toe and he needs surgery. We believed him and scheduled him for surgery. We went to see a different podiatrist for a second opinion before the surgery, the X-RAY showed my son DID NOT have a bone spur and he did not need a surgery. We cancelled the surgery, because Dr. Pollun deceived us. We lost our trust in him and we never went back to him. Someone needs to report this guy to the authorities, for deceiving patients to do unnecessary surgery and procedures. I am sorry that we ever went to him.

Submitted May 4, 2022

Dr. Polun's unorthodox and ill-advised treatment has left me with a damaged nerve, dissolved foot pad, and a chronic pain condition that effects every day of my life – and no way out.

I fractured my 5th metatarsal 2.5 years ago. When the irritation did not subside, I went to Dr. Polun for help. He recommended a series of 14 alcohol sclerosing injections at 30% alcohol each… and told me there was no risk of side effects. I wish I had known at the time that, according to podiatrytoday.com, "most podiatrists do not feel that an injection of more than 20% alcohol is safe for the foot so many podiatrists never risk injury by staying at 10% max." Instead, Dr. Polun sold me on his "treatment" plan and I trusted him. A mistake that cost my quality of life.

Here is a more detailed background of my story…

When I first visited Dr. Polun, he diagnosed me with Morton's Neuroma (MN). I was reluctant to proceed with his proposed alcohol injections because at the time, my pain was not in the typical MN area or type... But he convinced me this was risk-free. So we proceeded.

After the 1st session, I experienced extreme numbness, swelling, and discomfort for an extended period – all in the injection site, not my original pain location. Dr. Polun insisted that we continued the full series of treatment as planned. Again, I trusted his judgement - a mistake. After our final session, the pain dramatically increased. An MRI confirmed there was more inflammation in my foot than before the treatment.

Polun suggested I continue office visits for a series of no-risk Class IV laser sessions to resolve the inflammation. This did relieve some pain, but it was only temporary and short-lived. I then purchased a home-use model of the laser, which has the same temporary benefit. I've also tried vitamins, toe spacers, stretches, custom orthotics, metatarsal pads, etc....Nothing will get of this new chronic pain caused my Dr. Polun.

It has been a full year since my first injection session with Polun. My pain is much worse now and in a larger area (on the ball of my foot), where no pain existed prior. I am now unable to walk barefoot or perform simple weight bearing tasks without increased pain. This was never an issue prior to Dr. Polun's injections.

My last resort is surgery, but multiple surgeons have told me my chances of success are dramatically decreased due to the damage of my nerve caused Dr. Polun. They have never heard of a patient who received so many alcohol sclerosing injections at such a high dosage.

Submitted May 15, 2019

The biggest mistake of my life was allowing Dr. Polun to talk me into elective surgery that failed dramatically and has resulted in me needing an early hip replacement. I needed a bunion removed, and even that part of the surgery failed, causing damage to my second toe amd other areas. He convinced me to reconstruct my arch due to flat feet and to lengthen my Achilles to hasten recovery. I had not agreed to those parts of the surgery, and he simply proceeded to include them in the paperwork that he gave me to sign before being wheeled into surgery. I was so petrified of the bunion surgery that I caved—I wasn’t thinking straight. As a result, I have nerve damage to my left foot and leg, problems with the area where he lengthened the Achilles, and I have one high arch in one foot (size 6 now) and a collapsed arch in the other (size 7). (The plan was to construct arches in both—his plan.). I had to have a metal device he put into my ankle to support the arch removed within months by an orthopedist, because it created new ankle pain. But the long-term problem was that my gait was thrown off, wreaking havoc on my left hip. I later told a physical therapist about the surgery, and she cringed and told me that multiple patients had problems after Polun performed surgery on them. I also told a yoga instructor about the incident, and she used profanity to describe the fallout from his surgeries on clients she knows. The bottom line is that Polun is quick to perform unnecessary surgeries, and his track record on even standard procedures—bunion removal—is weak. I strongly advise seeing other podiatrists or orthopedists.

Submitted Jan. 1, 2019

Third time that you sent my husband to the hospital, was 2 too many ! My husband with feet blisters issues, yes diabetic.
Dr. Polun, you had our trust we had confidence in your treatments. We relied on your knowledge, expertise and experience.
This time, the diagnosis was a shock and for a good reason. It was false: no MRSA.
It is unfortunate that this relationship has to end this way, but 2 other specialists (doctors) appear to agree that sending my husband to the hospital with a false diagnosis, unessacesary IV therapy, plus a small intervention is rare and unusual!
The number of EpiFix also, appeared to be too many, but you are the expert to us. We never questioned the treatment, however, it became apparent to us that it was not the right procedure and/or treatment.
Glad, we had a Chance to speak with the infectious disease doctor before the surgery, who confirmed our doubts.
Cancelled the surgery and contacted our internist who was also shocked and surprised and who had been contacted by the hospitalist!
As it is said “there is no smoke without a fire”
Under the mental, emotional, psycholigical state of my husband, it is unfortunate that we had to go through so much unnecessary stress.
That will end our doctor/patient relationship!

Submitted May 19, 2018

Dr. Polun is THE BEST OF THE BEST. I have seen many other doctors and he is in a class by himself. He is smart, an excellent diagnostician, and he conducts surgery in a painless, efficient way to insure the best result for his patients. My experience with Dr. Polun was nothing short of outstanding, and I would recommend him for anyone with a foot and/or ankle problem.

Submitted Nov. 6, 2017

He performed surgery on me two years ago and he screwed it up royally. I can't wear certian shoes. My foot constantly swells, I get sharp pains in my toes, My leg has nerve damage and he had the nerve to tell me that it is because I don't go to the gym. I am damaged for life because of him. BEWARE Don't let that bedside manner fool you.

Submitted June 18, 2015

I've been seeing Dr. Polun now for about 2-3 years, and my feelings are that he is a remarkable podiatrist -- by far the best of the three I have seen in my lifetime. Whenever I inquire about a problem, such as an ingrown toenail or some sort of allergic breakout on my foot, dry skin, what-have-you, he gives an honest assessment, recommending the most conservative approach, though informed by the latest and most sophisticated diagnostic devices. In the case of my feet misalignment, Dr. Polun suggested orthotics, which he uses a motion-scanning device to create, that also maps foot pressure on a pad he asks me to step on -- he knows precisely how to craft the ideal orthotics. And not only are his orthotics better than the cast-made variants I have bought from other podiatrists (costing me around $150 a pop), his were about $70ish. In the instance of the weird allergic response on my feet, just recently he recently gave me two brand-new-to-the-market samples, free, to try, one of which reduces itching and the other of which reduces dryness. I bring this up because Dr. Polun has probably let me try over 15 different medication samplers at no cost over the years I have seen him, and it has helped me navigate through the good medications and the bad without having to financially commit to any that don't work (it can add up without samples). Of the three minor surgeries Dr. Polun has performed on me, they have all ended up well, and I experienced almost nonexistent discomfort during them and while they healed. On top of all this, he's a really friendly person, who genuinely seems concerned about my well-being. He personally called me after a laser removal of a spot on my foot, to check how I was doing. He also made a point to ask about my other medical problems, and tries to see if he can assist with those if at all possible, by referral or by racking his brain and giving me some ideas. I am very satisfied with my experience with him as a physician, and I would recommend him to anyone because he is a genuinely decent human being as well.

As far as his staff goes, they are fantastic. There is not one time, ever, I have had any problem with them at all. In fact, dealing with them is a delight. They always call me to remind me about an appointment, every single time over the past 2 years (they even leave a message, rather than just letting it stand as a missed call), they are very accommodating and understanding when it comes to scheduling and canceling, and they always seem to be in an upbeat mood. I can say Dr. Polun doesn't just hire anyone, but the most qualified people to provide a solid patient experience.

All in all, I give Dr. Polun's practice, for both him and his staff, a 5 across the board. Thank you all very much.

Submitted Oct. 24, 2014

This guy acts like he's your best friend to get your money! He will slap every device known to man on your feet, and he gets a kickback from this. Don't be fooled - he will do as little as possible so you'll keep coming back and dishing out the money. Don't EVER let him perform surgery on you! He'll use whatever company will pay him the most - not what's best for you. Watch out for this guy - he'll destroy your feet & blame it on your feet. Let's put the blame where it belongs - Dr. Polun ruins lives.

Submitted Aug. 30, 2014

With genetically bad feet, I was in need of a podiatrist. I researched online and found Dr. Franklin Polun's credentials standing out. My first appointment gave me assurance in Dr.Polun's staff and in his knowledge and competence. I am, also, a healthcare professional for 41 years and have seldom seen the patient/doctor relationship so demonstrated by Dr. Polun. He is thorough in explaining the diagnosis and treatment plan and readily available for any questions. I underwent surgery at Suburban Hospital on 11/4/13 and cannot praise the entire surgical team enough. Dr. Polun sat beside me for a lengthy time prior to being wheeled into the surgical suite covering the details of my surgery and expectations post-operatively. What a finely choreographed unit they are-preoperatively, intraoperatively and postoperatively. Dr. Polun is only a phone call away and his office staff, especially Carla, have satisfied my requests as has Rebecca, his surgical coordinator. My choice was right.

Submitted Nov. 13, 2013