Dr. Ettore Vulcano, MD

Dr. Ettore Vulcano, MD Dr. Vulcano is an internationally renowned orthopedic surgeon specializing in disorders of the foot and ankle as well as deformities of the extremities.

Associate Professor at Columbia University
Chairman of Orthopedics Dr. Vulcano is Chairman of The Columbia University Orthopedics at Mount Sinai Medical Center Miami Beach. He served as Chief of Foot & Ankle Surgery and Limb Lengthening & Deformity Correction at Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital in NYC. He completed a foot and ankle fellowship at the Institute for Foot and Ankle

Reconstruction (Baltimore, MD). He then completed a second fellowship in limb lengthening, limb realignment, and complex reconstruction at the Hospital for Special Surgery (New York City). Recipient of national and international awards for excellence in clinical research, Dr. Vulcano has a strong research background in orthopedic surgery. He has co-authored several peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, and delivered presentations at national and international conferences. He is Assistant Professor of Orthopedics at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Vulcano has a unique combination of training. This allows for a comprehensive clinical evaluation to tailor treatments around each individual patient. Arthroscopic and minimally invasive surgery are employed whenever possible to shorten recovery time and decrease postoperative pain.

Do I REALLY need foot or ankle surgery? 🦶Probably not.In fact, most foot and ankle problems do not require surgery.Physi...
08/10/2026

Do I REALLY need foot or ankle surgery? 🦶

Probably not.

In fact, most foot and ankle problems do not require surgery.

Physical therapy, appropriate shoes, orthotics, bracing, or simply modifying certain activities can often provide significant relief.

So when do I recommend surgery?

👉 When pain is interfering with your quality of life
👉 When appropriate nonsurgical treatments have failed
👉 When deformity or instability is progressing
👉 When waiting could make the problem harder to correct later

And one important point:

I don’t operate on X-rays or MRIs. I operate on patients.

An abnormal scan alone is not a reason to have surgery.

When surgery truly is the best option, many foot and ankle conditions can now be treated using minimally invasive techniques, through very small incisions and with less disruption of the surrounding tissues.

My philosophy is simple:

The goal isn’t to find a reason to operate.
It’s to find the least invasive way to get you back to the life you want to live.

📍 Miami Beach
Ettore Vulcano, MD
Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon

“Flat feet are normal.”❌ Not always.Having flat feet isn’t necessarily a problem—but having painful flat feet is not nor...
08/06/2026

“Flat feet are normal.”
❌ Not always.

Having flat feet isn’t necessarily a problem—but having painful flat feet is not normal and shouldn’t be ignored.

Many people live with foot or ankle pain for years, assuming it’s simply part of getting older. In reality, the arch can progressively collapse over time, leading to pain, instability, difficulty walking, and even problems in the knees, hips, and lower back.

Common warning signs include:
🔹 Pain along the inside of the foot or ankle
🔹 Swelling near the ankle
🔹 Difficulty standing on your tiptoes
🔹 A foot that appears flatter than it used to
🔹 Fatigue or discomfort after walking or standing

The good news? Most patients do not need surgery. Many improve with physical therapy, orthotics, bracing, and other conservative treatments.

When surgery is necessary, advances in minimally invasive foot surgery allow many deformities to be corrected through very small incisions, with less soft tissue disruption than traditional open procedures.

The key is not waiting until the deformity becomes severe. An early evaluation can often make treatment simpler and more effective.

👣 Don’t accept foot pain as “normal.” Healthy feet are the foundation of an active life.

📍Miami Beach, Florida

Honored and deeply grateful to have been rated the #8 Orthopedic Surgeon in Miami and the #1 Orthopedic Foot & Ankle S...
07/02/2026

Honored and deeply grateful to have been rated the #8 Orthopedic Surgeon in Miami and the #1 Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon by my patients.

This recognition means more to me than any title because it comes from the people who have placed their trust in me during some of the most challenging moments of their lives.

Orthopedic surgery is unique—despite meticulous planning, experience, and the latest techniques, no operation can ever guarantee a perfect outcome. Every patient, every injury, and every healing journey is different. What I can promise is that I will always give each patient my very best: my full attention, my dedication, my honesty, and my heart.

To every patient who has trusted me with their care, thank you. Your confidence in me is a privilege I never take for granted, and it inspires me every day to continue learning, improving, and striving for excellence.

I am truly grateful. ❤️

Minimally invasive bunionectomy: 3-month progress.A great example of how small-incision bunion correction can restore al...
06/29/2026

Minimally invasive bunionectomy: 3-month progress.
A great example of how small-incision bunion correction can restore alignment while allowing the foot to continue improving over time.

At 3 months, the correction is already visible, and the final contour will continue to refine as postoperative swelling gradually resolves over the next 1–2 months.

Every recovery is different, but minimally invasive techniques are designed to reduce soft-tissue disruption, limit scarring, and support a smoother return to shoes and activity.

Glucosamine is one of the most popular supplements on the market, sold as a natural fix for joint pain and arthritis. Th...
06/11/2026

Glucosamine is one of the most popular supplements on the market, sold as a natural fix for joint pain and arthritis. The promise sounds great. The science? Not so much.

Multiple large-scale clinical trials — including the major NIH-funded GAIT study — found glucosamine performed no better than a placebo for most people with knee osteoarthritis. Yet millions keep taking it, often for years.

Here’s what the risks look like:

🧠 Possible link to faster Alzheimer’s progression — A major new University of Florida study (June 2026) analyzed 12 years of patient records and found that people with mild cognitive impairment who took glucosamine were 25% more likely to progress to dementia. Researchers believe glucosamine may fuel an already-overactive “sugar-tagging” process in vulnerable brains. It’s an association, not proven cause-and-effect — but it’s serious enough to pay attention to, especially for older adults.

🩸 Blood sugar — Glucosamine may raise insulin resistance. If you’re diabetic or pre-diabetic, this matters.

💊 Drug interactions — It can enhance the effects of blood thinners like warfarin, increasing bleeding risk.

🤰 Pregnancy & breastfeeding — Safety data simply doesn’t exist. Most doctors say skip it.

🦐 Shellfish allergies — Many glucosamine products are derived from shellfish shells. Read the label carefully.

🧪 Supplement quality — The supplement industry has loose regulation. What’s on the label isn’t always what’s in the bottle.

The bottom line: spending money on something with weak evidence of benefit is one thing. But assuming it’s safe because it’s “natural” is a different risk altogether.

Talk to your doctor before adding any supplement to your routine — especially long-term.

Save this if you know someone who swears by joint supplements. 👇

🦶 Ankle fracture surgery → walking the SAME DAY? Yes, really.Most people expect weeks in a boot, not moving, waiting. Bu...
05/05/2026

🦶 Ankle fracture surgery → walking the SAME DAY? Yes, really.
Most people expect weeks in a boot, not moving, waiting. But here’s what the evidence (and my practice) shows:
Immediate weightbearing after ankle fracture surgery is safe for almost all of my patients. 🏥✅
Here’s why I do it:
🔩 Modern fixation is STRONG — plates and screws are engineered to handle load. Your body weight isn’t going to break your repair.
💪 Early movement = better outcomes. Muscles don’t atrophy. Joints stay mobile. Swelling clears faster.
🧠 Confidence matters. Patients who walk early are less fearful, more compliant, and recover faster overall.
❌ The old “stay off it for 6 weeks” approach? Largely tradition — not evidence.
Of course, every fracture is different. Pattern, bone quality, fixation stability — I assess all of it. But my default is: get up and walk.

📌 Save this if you’ve got surgery coming up or know someone who does.

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Hot off the press! Excited for our new book! Thank you to my friends and colleagues
05/02/2026

Hot off the press! Excited for our new book! Thank you to my friends and colleagues

🦶 Achilles tendinitis — when rest isn’t enough, surgery doesn’t have to mean a big incision.That nagging pain at the bac...
04/25/2026

🦶 Achilles tendinitis — when rest isn’t enough, surgery doesn’t have to mean a big incision.
That nagging pain at the back of your heel? That stiffness first thing in the morning that makes those first steps feel like walking on glass? That’s your Achilles tendon talking — and it’s worth listening.
Achilles tendinitis is one of the most common conditions I treat, affecting runners, athletes, and even people who simply spend long hours on their feet. When conservative treatment — physical therapy and anti-inflammatories — fails after several months, many patients assume they’re facing a long, painful recovery from open surgery.
Not anymore. ✅
With minimally invasive techniques, including the Zadek osteotomy (a procedure I perform percutaneously through tiny incisions), we can address the underlying bony deformity that drives insertional Achilles tendinitis — with:
🔹 Smaller incisions
🔹 Less soft tissue disruption
🔹 Faster recovery
🔹 Reduced risk of wound complications
You don’t have to keep modifying your life around heel pain. There are real, lasting solutions — and they’re less invasive than you think.



Want me to also draft a carousel caption version, or create a companion educational caption broken into slides?

Bunion surgery doesn’t have to mean big incisions, long recovery, and weeks off your feet. 🦶With minimally invasive buni...
04/15/2026

Bunion surgery doesn’t have to mean big incisions, long recovery, and weeks off your feet. 🦶
With minimally invasive bunionectomy, I correct the bone through tiny incisions — often just a few millimeters — using specialized instruments and real-time X-ray guidance. That means:
✅ Less soft tissue trauma
✅ Less swelling and pain
✅ Faster return to shoes and activity
✅ Minimal scarring
I was one of the first surgeons in the U.S. to bring percutaneous bunion correction from Europe, and I’ve been refining these techniques for over a decade. The goal is always the same: a precise correction with the gentlest approach possible.
If you’ve been putting off bunion surgery because you’re worried about downtime — let’s talk. There may be a better option than you think. Orthopedics at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach
🔗 Link in bio | ettorevulcano.com

That sharp, burning pain at the back of your heel when you step out of bed? That ache after every run, walk, or stair cl...
03/24/2026

That sharp, burning pain at the back of your heel when you step out of bed? That ache after every run, walk, or stair climb that just won’t quit?
You’ve tried rest. Stretching. PT. Maybe even a boot. But the pain keeps coming back.
Here’s what most people don’t realize: when Achilles tendinitis becomes chronic, there’s often a structural or biomechanical problem driving it.
That’s where the minimally invasive Zadek osteotomy comes in.
Through one or two tiny incisions (3–5 mm), I remove a precise wedge of bone from the heel under real-time X-ray guidance — tilting the bony prominence away from the tendon and eliminating the impingement at its source. No large incision. No detaching the Achilles. Home the same day.
The results from my peer-reviewed, multi-center research speak for themselves:
→ Significantly fewer wound complications
→ Less postoperative pain
→ Earlier return to weight-bearing
→ Faster recovery vs. traditional open surgery
→ The Achilles tendon is preserved — not split open

If your heel pain has been holding you back, there’s a better path forward. Link in bio for the full guide.
📍 Miami Beach, FL
🔗 ettorevulcano.com

Address

4302 Alton Road
Miami Beach, FL
33140

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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+13056742090

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