Correction of hallux abducto valgus by scarf osteotomy. A ten-year retrospective multicentre review of patient reported outcomes shows high satisfaction rates with podiatric surgery

BACKGROUND: Corrective surgery for hallux abducto valgus is one of the most performed elective procedures in foot and ankle practice. Numerous methods of surgical correction have been reported within the literature, with varying clinical and patient reported outcomes. This study reviews the patient experience and outcomes in five podiatric surgery centres using the scarf diaphyseal osteotomy. METHOD: Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) were captured using the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire 10 (PSQ-10), part of the PASCOM-10 podiatric surgery audit tool. PROMs were collated across five hospital sites over a 10-year period. RESULTS: Of 1351 patients reported during the period, 1189 had complete retrospective data. The most common patient aim of surgery was ‘no/less pain’ reported in 70% of patients. 96.8% of patients reported their original foot complaint as ‘better’ or ‘much better’ after surgery. 92.8% of patients reported their expectations had been met with 96.6% reporting they would have surgery again under the same conditions. 98.5% of patients noted that the risks, complications, and expectations had been discussed prior to surgery. The most common complication was metatarsal fracture (4.6%). CONCLUSION: The scarf osteotomy (with or without an Akin phalangeal osteotomy) consistently showed high patient satisfaction with low complication rates using PSQ-10 and this information can be used as part of the pre-operative consenting process. Patient expectations for surgery were often achieved, which may be attributed to the pre-operative work up of the patient. Further investigation into this correlation is suggested. LEVEL OF CLINICAL EVIDENCE: IV (retrospective review). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13047-022-00546-3.