Yes—we offer same-day emergency appointments for urgent foot and ankle problems. If you have suffered a sudden foot or ankle injury, have a rapidly worsening wound or infection, or are in severe pain, you do not have to wait days for care or spend hours in a crowded emergency room. Annapolis Foot & Ankle Center reserves same-day appointment slots at both our Annapolis and Chester locations so you can be seen quickly by a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon. Call 410-266-7666 (Annapolis) or 410-643-7746 (Chester) now, or request an emergency appointment online.
For more than 30 years, our board-certified podiatric surgeons have delivered advanced, specialist-level care to patients throughout Anne Arundel, Queen Anne's, Calvert, and St. Mary's Counties. We are the practice that other physicians call when they face a complex foot or ankle case—and that same expertise is available to you on the day you need it most.
When Should You Seek Same-Day or Emergency Foot and Ankle Care?
Foot and ankle injuries are easy to underestimate. Your feet contain 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 ligaments, muscles, and tendons, so what feels like a simple sprain can actually be a fracture, a tendon rupture, or an injury that will worsen without prompt, expert evaluation. You should seek a same-day appointment if you are experiencing any of the following:
- Sudden, severe foot or ankle pain, especially after a fall, twist, or direct blow
- Inability to bear weight or walk on the affected foot or ankle
- Obvious deformity, a bone that looks out of place, or a joint that appears dislocated
- Rapid swelling, bruising, or numbness following an injury
- A deep cut, laceration, puncture wound, or a foreign object in the foot
- A wound, blister, or sore that is red, warm, draining, or spreading—particularly if you have diabetes
- Signs of infection such as fever, red streaks, or worsening pain around a wound or ingrown toenail
- A "pop" in the back of the heel or calf followed by weakness pushing off the foot
If you are unsure whether your situation is urgent, call us—our team can help you decide whether you need to be seen today. When in doubt about a foot or ankle problem, it is always safer to have it evaluated by a specialist rather than wait.
Foot and Ankle Emergencies We Treat the Same Day
Our podiatric surgeons are equipped to diagnose and begin treating urgent lower-extremity conditions right in our offices, including digital X-ray imaging on site. Same-day and emergency conditions we frequently treat include:
- Broken bones and ankle fractures. Whether you rolled your ankle stepping off a curb or took a hard hit, our ankle fracture specialists can evaluate, image, and stabilize the injury quickly.
- Foot trauma, crush injuries, and puncture wounds. Sudden injuries often involve fractures, breaks, sprains, strains, or embedded foreign objects. Learn more about our foot trauma treatment.
- Achilles tendon ruptures and severe sprains. A ruptured Achilles is a true emergency. Our team provides prompt evaluation and treatment for Achilles tendon injuries.
- Acute sports injuries. Don't let an injury bench you—our sports injury care gets athletes evaluated and back in the game safely.
- Infected wounds and diabetic foot ulcers. Foot wounds can deteriorate rapidly. Our foot wound care specialists provide advanced treatment for ulcers, non-healing wounds, and infections.
- Limb-threatening infections and vascular concerns. Through our Chesapeake Amputation Prevention Center, we deliver urgent amputation prevention and limb salvage care, and can perform on-site peripheral arterial disease testing.
- Severely infected ingrown toenails. A painful, draining, or infected nail can often be resolved the same day. See our ingrown toenail treatment options.
- Sudden, disabling heel or foot pain. When pain appears abruptly and keeps you off your feet, our heel pain and foot pain evaluations can identify the cause fast.
For a complete overview of everything we manage, see the full list of conditions we treat and the services we provide.
Why Choose a Podiatric Specialist Instead of the Emergency Room?
A hospital emergency room is essential for life-threatening emergencies, but for most acute foot and ankle injuries a podiatric specialist is the faster, more focused choice. Here is why patients choose us for urgent care:
- Skip the long ER wait. Emergency rooms triage by severity, so foot and ankle injuries often mean hours of waiting. A same-day appointment gets you focused care without the uncertainty.
- See a true foot and ankle expert the first time. Our board-certified podiatric surgeons diagnose and treat these injuries every day, so you avoid a referral loop and get a definitive treatment plan up front.
- On-site imaging and treatment. Digital X-rays, wound care, and advanced procedures—including minimally invasive surgery and reconstructive foot and ankle surgery—are available through our practice.
- Continuity of care. The specialist who evaluates your emergency also manages your recovery, so nothing gets lost in the handoff.
- Personal access to your doctor. Our podiatrists put their personal cellphone numbers on their business cards so you can reach them with questions during recovery.
Learn more about our experience and approach on our Why Choose Us page.
New and Existing Patients Are Welcome for Same-Day Care
You do not need to be an established patient to be seen for an emergency. We welcome new patients with urgent foot and ankle problems and will work to get you in the same day whenever possible. Existing patients can call our office directly—our team will prioritize acute injuries and worsening wounds.
To be seen today: call the office closest to you and tell the team you have an urgent foot or ankle problem, or request an appointment online and note that your issue is urgent so we can respond quickly.
Information for Emergency Room and Urgent Care Providers
To our colleagues in emergency medicine and urgent care: Annapolis Foot & Ankle Center accepts urgent and same-day referrals for acute and complex foot and ankle conditions, including extreme lower-extremity emergencies. When a patient presents with a foot or ankle problem that requires specialist evaluation or ongoing management, we can provide rapid follow-up so the patient receives definitive care and your department can safely discharge or transfer.
We are widely known as the practice that other physicians call for challenging podiatric cases, and we accept referrals from providers throughout Central Maryland, including colleagues affiliated with Luminis Health / Anne Arundel Medical Center.
Urgent and Extreme Foot and Ankle Emergencies We Accept
- Open, displaced, or complex ankle and foot fractures requiring surgical evaluation
- Acute foot and ankle trauma, crush injuries, dislocations, and severe puncture wounds
- Limb-threatening diabetic foot infections and non-healing wounds
- Patients at risk for amputation who need urgent limb salvage and amputation prevention
- Suspected vascular compromise requiring prompt peripheral arterial disease testing
- Acute Achilles tendon ruptures and other tendon injuries
- Severe infections, abscesses, and post-operative complications of the foot and ankle
How to Refer a Patient
To arrange an urgent referral or discuss a case directly with one of our surgeons, call our Annapolis office at 410-266-7666 or our Chester office at 410-643-7746. Our team will coordinate rapid scheduling, accept records, and keep the referring provider informed. Referrals can be directed to Eric Harmelin, DPM, board certified in foot surgery with expertise in wound care, limb salvage, and reconstruction, or Gina Zigerelli, DPM.
Our Emergency Podiatry Locations
Annapolis Office
Annapolis Foot & Ankle Center – Annapolis
2086 Generals Hwy #101, Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: 410-266-7666
Chester Office
Annapolis Foot & Ankle Center – Chester
1630 Main St #210, Chester, MD 21619
Phone: 410-643-7746
We proudly serve patients throughout Anne Arundel, Queen Anne's, Calvert, and St. Mary's Counties and the greater Central Maryland region.
Frequently Asked Questions About Same-Day Emergency Podiatry Care
Do you really offer same-day appointments?
Yes. We reserve same-day appointment availability at both our Annapolis and Chester offices for urgent foot and ankle problems. Call as early in the day as possible for the best chance at a same-day slot.
Should I go to the ER or call a podiatrist for a foot or ankle injury?
For a life-threatening emergency, always call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For most acute foot and ankle injuries—fractures, severe sprains, wounds, infections, and tendon ruptures—a same-day appointment with a foot and ankle specialist provides faster, more focused, and more definitive care than a general ER visit.
Can I be seen if I am not already a patient?
Yes. New patients are welcome for same-day and emergency care. Let our team know when you call that your problem is urgent.
What should I do while I wait to be seen?
For most injuries, rest the foot, avoid bearing weight, elevate it, and apply ice for short intervals. Do not attempt to reset a deformed joint or remove a deeply embedded object yourself. Call us for guidance specific to your situation.
Do you accept urgent referrals from emergency rooms and urgent care centers?
Yes. We accept urgent and same-day referrals from emergency medicine and urgent care providers for acute and complex foot and ankle conditions, including limb-threatening emergencies. Providers can call either office directly to coordinate rapid follow-up.
Get Urgent Foot and Ankle Care Today
Don't wait with an injury that could get worse. Call the Annapolis Foot & Ankle Center location nearest you—410-266-7666 in Annapolis or 410-643-7746 in Chester—or request a same-day emergency appointment online. Our board-certified podiatric surgeons are ready to get you back on your feet.
