United Foot & Ankle Surgeons · Chicagoland, est. 2003
Laser, shockwave, and regenerative medicine take care of most foot and ankle pain without an operating room. And when surgery really is the answer, Dr. TJ Ahn does it through one tiny opening — so you walk out the same day.
Our approach
Most foot and ankle pain gets better without surgery. So that's where we begin. We only take the next step if your foot tells us we have to — and most of the time, it doesn't.
Laser, shockwave, Swift, and custom orthotics. No cutting. No needles. No time off your feet. You come in, get treated, and go back to your day.
Most patients start here — and finish here.
Regenerative injections and Leneva® calm the inflammation and put cushioning back where your foot has worn thin, so it can heal itself. It's a needle, not an operation. You walk out and drive home.
Still no surgery, no stitches, no recovery time.
Dr. Ahn has spent twenty years doing foot surgery through openings the size of a grain of rice. It's what he's known for. It's also the last thing he reaches for.
Only your foot is numbed. Usually no stitches. You go home the same day.
Both shown at close to actual size.
Non-surgical first
Dr. Ahn built his reputation on minimally invasive surgery — then kept going, investing in the tools that make surgery unnecessary for most patients.
Browse the treatments
No cutting · painless · minutes
Dual-wavelength robotic laser that reduces pain and inflammation at the cellular level. Sessions take minutes; you feel nothing but relief.
For heel pain · tendonitis · arthritis · sports injuries
No cutting · sound waves
Focused acoustic pulses that restart stalled healing in chronic heel and tendon pain — the therapy elite athletes use to avoid surgery.
For plantar fasciitis · achilles tendinopathy
No cutting · made for your feet
Prescription inserts built from your exam and the way you actually move — correcting mechanics from the ground up so stress stops becoming injury.
For flat feet · heel pain · sports mechanics · long-term foot health
No cutting · no acid · no bandages
Precise microwave energy that trains your immune system to clear stubborn plantar warts. No cutting, no acid, no bandages.
For plantar warts — even long-standing ones
One small injection
Restores the natural fat-pad cushioning your foot loses with age — padding thin, painful soles without surgery.
For fat-pad loss · ball-of-foot pain · diabetic feet
One small injection
Injections that recruit your body's own repair process — calming inflammation so worn tendons, ligaments, and joints can heal instead of just feeling numb.
For tendon & ligament injury · plantar fasciitis · arthritis · joint instability
That's the consultation. Dr. Ahn examines, explains, and starts with the least invasive option that will actually work.
Book an appointmentWhat we treat
The bump isn't skin — it's a bone that has drifted out of place. Corrected through a tiny opening, when it needs correcting at all.
Curled toes straightened through tiny incisions — often with no visible hardware and same-day walking.
That first-step-in-the-morning stab. Laser, shockwave, and regenerative care resolve most cases without surgery.
Gentle, permanent in-office fixes for a problem that keeps coming back on its own.
Clearer nails through laser and medical therapy — treating the cause, not polishing over it.
Arch pain and misalignment addressed with precise diagnosis, support, and therapy matched to how you actually move.
When surgery is the answer
Dr. Ahn is a fellowship-trained foot surgeon, board certified in minimally invasive foot surgery by the ABMSP — and he still reserves the operating room for feet that truly need it. When yours does, this is what modern surgery looks like:
Your surgeon
Dr. TJ Ahn has treated Chicagoland's feet since 2003 — board-certified by the American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry and a Fellow of the Academy of Ambulatory Foot & Ankle Surgery. He teaches podiatric residents, studies every new technique worth studying, and answers questions in four languages.
“Treat every patient with heart.”
Board certified in minimally invasive foot surgeryAmerican Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry
In the media
WGN TV · Featured segment on minimally invasive foot surgery
WCIU TV · Morning show interview
Ask the Expert · Bunions and the real cause
Patient stories
Patient story · Minimally invasive hammertoe
Patient story · Minimally invasive bunion
“Coming across Dr. Ahn was the best thing that could have ever happened.”
— Gricelda R.
“My feet are perfect… thank you Dr. Ahn and staff for making the process.”
— Karen F.
“An amazing surgeon — adaptable, and deeply knowledgeable about minimally invasive procedures.”
— Daphne J.
How we work
Dr. Ahn is in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield and a small number of other plans — and deliberately independent of the rest. That independence means your treatment plan is built on what your exam shows, not on what a claims department will approve. You'll know the cost before anything begins.
Blue Cross Blue Shield and select others. Call us — we'll verify your coverage in minutes.
Every option explained with its price before you commit. No surprise bills.
Uninsured or out-of-network? Sit down with Dr. Ahn at no charge. He'll look at your foot, tell you what he thinks is wrong, and walk you through your options and what each one costs. If you decide to go ahead, the office visit, any X-rays, and the treatment itself are billed normally — and you'll hear those prices before you agree to anything.
Visit us
Mon–Fri · 8:30 am – 6:00 pm
Free parking on site. Call us or book online — same-week appointments are usually available.
In-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield and select plans. Out-of-network or uninsured? Your first sit-down with Dr. Ahn is free, and you'll know what everything costs before treatment begins.
The free consultation covers Dr. Ahn's time and his opinion. The office visit, X-rays, and any treatment are billed separately — always quoted to you first, never added afterward.
