Is surgery ever used to correct clubfoot instead of those chunky braces the kids are forced to wear for so long?

The best treatment for clubfoot is the use of braces to keep the foot in proper alignment, forcing the muscles and bones to grow in a certain way. The process is slow, but the braces manipulate the legs into the desired position.

That being said, sometimes surgery is necessary. Most surgeries won't be done before the child is six months old. The surgery involves lengthening the tendons that connect muscle to bone. Usually, pins are put into place to keep everything set correctly and then the foot is casted. Surgery does not always mean that there will be no bracing. Often children still need to be braced post-operatively.