Kwasi Y. Kwaadu, DPM, FACFAS

About

Beyond his ability as an excellent surgeon, Kwasi Kwaadu, DPM, loves to share knowledge and communicate—with everyone. A tour de force in the classroom, Dr. Kwaadu brings his natural enthusiasm and curiosity to develop Temple’s podiatry students. Patients, too, are empowered by Dr. Kwaadu’s mission to help them understand their conditions and live healthier lives. Dr. Kwaadu’s secret? His background. Originally from Ghana, and growing up without the conveniences we routinely overlook, has granted him perspective that allows him to connect with many of our underserved population. Dr. Kwaadu has intimately been part of the community he treats. Consequently, there is an authenticity and passion he brings that is unique, which his patients appreciate immensely.

Dr. Kwaadu explains, "We practice in underserved areas where a huge communication gap can exist between what a provider explains, and how a patient understands this information. Evidence shows patients may only process 30 percent of what a physician recommends. To close this gap, Dr. Kwaadu is a big believer in speaking colloquially and respecting backgrounds of all varieties. Patients must understand what a treatment can and can’t accomplish. “They are part of the decision-making process from start to finish.” Humor can help. For example, after a surgical procedure, Dr. Kwaadu says, “I don’t tell a patient ‘stay off your feet.’ I say, ‘You can’t put your foot down unless there’s a fire behind you and your life is at risk.” Patients laugh but they get the idea.

Dr. Kwaadu was introduced into podiatry by a family friend, who himself was a podiatrist. The comprehensive function of the lower extremity and the complex interconnectedness fascinated him and continues to inform much of what he does in order to treat patients. While his practice is not exclusively surgical, this is his strength and it is through this window that he views and manage pathology.

Following the completion of his medical training at Temple University’s School of Podiatric Medicine (TUSPM) in Philadelphia, PA in June of 2009, he went to complete three years of foot and ankle reconstructive training at Aria Health Systems (currently Jefferson Northeast) in June of 2012 serving as Chief resident. He then went on to become the first fellow of the Philadelphia Foot and Ankle Trauma fellowship, an American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons approved institution, trained under the superb guidance of Dr. Justin Fleming, who himself received excellent lower extremity trauma management training Emory University Hospital, then at Martin Army Community Hospital in Fort Benning Georgia, and finally in Central Europe. After completing fellowship in July of 2013, he joined the TUSPM faculty in November of 2013. As a result, Dr. Kwaadu has been fortunate to have been exposed to a breath of treatment algorithms and has received guidance from important mentors, all of which has helped his personal growth and invariably the many patients he manages.

Dr. Kwaadu’s lower extremity trauma background has granted him unique insight and ability that allows him the ability to manage complex lower extremity pathology with excellent fracture management principles, involving the use of both internal and external fixation as needed.

As part of his treatment protocols, Dr. Kwaadu routinely employs the most up to date technological offerings in order to maximize patient outcomes. The reemergence minimally invasive surgery is one such area in surgical management. The innovation and newer instruments facilitate surgical reconstruction while minimizing the surgical foot print. This generally results in the reduction of postoperative swelling and stiffness. As a result, patients report less pain, and report and earlier return to function with fewer complications. Dr. Kwaadu employs this technology specifically in the management of forefoot deformities such as hammertoe contractures and bunion reconstruction deformities. This has led to a progressive influx of patients inquiring of him, “do you do the bunion operation with the little poke holes?” He also utilizes this technology for rearfoot pathology in the cutting and shifting of heel bones as indirect ways of changing the stresses of the hindfoot with the hope if improving pain and function in patients with flatfeet and Achilles pathology.

Dr. Kwaadu is also trained in the management of complex diabetic foot pathology. Diabetes is a chronic illness with worsening demographics. As a result, the population of diabetics with neuropathy is increasing, increasing the incidence of a host of diabetic complications, one of which is Charcot Neuropathic Arthropathy. Charcot Arthropathy, different from Charcot Marie Tooth, is a problem most commonly seen in diabetics with neuropathy, poor sensation, that leads to the breakdown of the bones in the foot and ankle. Unfortunately, the general medical community and patients at large have little awareness of this pathology and so patients generally present with advanced pathology and deformity that places patients at risk for amputation. Amputations affects us all (quality of life of the patient and those around, healthcare cost, taxes and contributions towards disability, etc.). And in this patient population, the mortality rate following amputation are significant, and so reconstruction to help mitigate the risk of amputation is the goal and has led to successful salvage in many.

Dr. Kwaadu is trained in the management of foot and ankle arthritis with nonsurgical means. However, in those instances where conservative management is insufficient, he also offers ankle and midfoot arthrodesis (fusion), and total ankle joint replacement, consistent with his training interests in newer and cutting-edge technology.

His overall philosophy behind patient care, which was really instilled in him by his mentor Justin Fleming, is to treat your patients like your family members. “When I trained, my mentor and director seemed to know so much about his patients beyond their wellness. I saw him make notes about patient’s children, their goals and accomplishments, and would also ask his patients about these things in addition to actually treating him. It was something I had never seen before. I have adopted this and I have found helps me to get to know my patients better, and it helps individualize my treatment protocols which I think leads to better patient satisfaction.”

Dr. Kwaadu is an associated professor currently serving as course director to the reconstructive forefoot course at TUSPM, and also lectures in the trauma and reconstructive courses respectively on the topics of pilon (end of the leg bone) fractures, talar (ankle bone) fractures, calcaneal (heel bone) fractures, Charcot neuropathic arthropathy reconstruction, clubfoot, external and internal fixation.

He serves as the director of the Charcot reconstructive center at TUSPM. He previously served as the director of the ambulatory surgery suite at TUSPM. He serves as assistant director to the Temple University Hospital Podiatric Surgical residency and beginning January 2022 was named the new Chair of the Podiatric Department at Temple University Health Systems.