The National Athletic Ankle and Foot Institute,
S.C. (NAAFI) was founded by Dr Robert Lim to fulfill the unique
niche of sports medicine treating specifically ankle and foot
athletic injuries related to trauma and over-use. Many doctors claim
to specialize in sports medicine; however, few have actual
experience working with professional athletes. Accurate diagnosis
and effective treatment are the goals to safely return athletes to
the playing field. An understanding of the unique movements required
for a specific sport adds to the ability of a physician to treat the
athlete.
Dr. Robert Lim’s mission is to utilize his
extensive medical expertise to provide an accurate diagnosis and
outline an effective treatment plan combining conservative medicine,
the latest technological breakthroughs, and innovative and unique
surgical procedures that cater to every patient whether athletic,
pediatric, geriatric or the general population. The philosophy that
drives his medical practice is to treat each patient as an important
individual by explaining conditions and treatments so patients have
a complete understanding of all aspects of their medical care.
Since 2001, Dr. Lim has served as the podiatric
physician for the MLS Chicago Fire, and also serves as a team doctor
for the US Soccer Federation soccer team, establishing him as the
primary authority for foot and ankle care in Chicagoland soccer. Additionally, Dr. Lim
has successfully treated athletes from the NFL, NBA, Major League
Lacrosse, Independent Women’s Football League, collegiate teams,
marathoners, dancers, and Olympic hopeful gymnasts.
Determined to provide his patients with the
best medical care available, Dr. Lim has achieved certifications in
Open Reduction Internal Fixation (ORIF) techniques, ankle
arthroscopy, laser surgery, shockwave therapy, and is able to
perform Independent Medical Evaluations (IME’s). Always striving to
provide comfort to his patients, Dr. Lim uses the latest, superior
treatment technology that includes computer assisted gait analysis
to formulate exact custom orthotics and Anodyne Therapy
(monochromatic infrared light) to increase circulation thus
promoting soft tissue healing.
An extremely gifted surgeon, Dr. Lim performs
highly intricate procedures that include; pediatric flatfoot
correction, Charcot stabilization, lateral column stabilization,
mid-foot joint stabilization, and newly developed
The Lim Procedure for
lateral ankle instability.
Over the past 13 years, Dr. Robert
Lim has developed and successfully performed his new and unique
surgical procedure for lateral ankle instability that will
revolutionize the way in which ankle sprains will be treated.
Traditionally ankle sprains are treated conservatively with 3-6
months of rest and immobilization; however, this does not
necessarily result in the healing of the ATF ligament. Current
surgical procedures are usually viewed as a last option due to a
questionable success rate, and an extensive recovery with no
guarantee that the patient will return to pre-injury status.
The Lim Procedure
has a 100% success rate and has a recovery
time of 4 weeks.
