Pin Removal after Hammertoe Surgery

My pins are to be removed in 4 weeks. I have a pre scheduled vacation to Mexico. Should I remove my pins 4 days too early or 7 days late. This means early and travel with the pins OR late and travel without the pins?? Is there a such thing as a stylish recovery/travel shoe out there??

I had my stitches removed eleven days from surgery and the pins removed tens days from that, so pins were in for about three weeks.  It seems that the time pins are removed from surgery date are all over the board.  I've had a lot of discomfort and couldn't imagine going on vacation after pin removal.  I was suppose to wear a boot for two weeks after pin removal (big toe fused) and ended up cutting one of my old tennis shoes to expose my toes and that has worked out much better.

good Luck!

my dr will keep my pin in 6 weeks. My toe hurts. I don't like this.  Hard to sit

So a lot of people estate that the pin removal does not hurt and here my version. So I had three toes fixed and all three had k wires. The wires where removed today 10/19/11 the 5thweek from surgery to be exact and let me tell you that the first pin came out only by my doctor pulling it out with his hand and did not hurt at all, BUT the other two toes were terrible he took about 15 minutes just pulling and twistin and those two toes were a nightmare. So I believe that if I would had waited one more week on those two I would had hurt less since the doctor stated that The first one was ready and that the two that he pulled out last were not so ready but he still took them out for some reason. Anyways so I believe the longer the k wire is in you the easier it comes out and the less it hurts. Question can anyone tell me why I feel like on of the toes that Hurt a lot while removing pin feels like if it shocks me every once in a while and it hurts, it kinda feel like if is loose. Weird feeling but hurts and the other two do not so can it be possible that my doctor damage something while he was twisting and pulling pin out for so long? Thanks

Hi. So I have same problem as guy above my reply, I had pins remove yesterday which was also 5 weeks from surgery and they did hurt, but now one of my toes that had a pin , shocks me every once in a while or feels like a shock hard to explain, is like if it moves by it self and it hurts really bad, feel like if it tries to click up or bend up its a really weird feeling but it hurts to the point that makes me jump when it does it. Please let me know if anyone else has this, can it be that the bone got unfused when pin got removed? Thanks

"Electrical shocks" will be normal for several months. The feeling of having a string around one of you toes is a sensation I have once in a while.



Nerves were cut during surgery and they are healing and it is like touching a negative and positive wire together!



Your pains are normal recovery and not to worry.

mhrich wrote:

Quote:

Hi. So I have same problem as guy above my reply, I had pins remove yesterday which was also 5 weeks from surgery and they did hurt, but now one of my toes that had a pin , shocks me every once in a while or feels like a shock hard to explain, is like if it moves by it self and it hurts really bad, feel like if it tries to click up or bend up its a really weird feeling but it hurts to the point that makes me jump when it does it. Please let me know if anyone else has this, can it be that the bone got unfused when pin got removed? Thanks

"Electrical shocks" will be normal for several months. The feeling of having a string around one of you toes is a sensation I have once in a while.

Nerves were cut during surgery and they are healing and it is like touching a negative and positive wire together!

Your pains are normal recovery and not to worry.

Hey thanks for your reply and im really glad It is normal I was Starting to freak out and was going to call doctor cause I thought he did something wrong but now I know that it just takes time. Thanks again.

I just had the 2 pins removed after 6 weeks. I was in a lot of pain because the pins were rubbing against the cast. Now I have a large bump were the pins came out of and it still hurts ??

Six weeks is a long time for pins to be in and you probably have a little scar tissue at exit site. this will get better in time as that area heals and rebuilds its cells. I put vitamin E on all my scars to help soften them. It realy takes some time!

I had the hammertoe surgery done. Make sure that you take your pain meds after surgery as soon as you can so you don't feel the pain. PUt ice or a bag of peas, or put corn syrup in a big plastic bag, to freeze and put that on your ankles, but make sure not to get your wound wet. Do not shower or bathe for 5 weeks. I had a tailors bunion removed also. It was hard to walk, feeling like the bone was coming out of my skin with the tailors bunion, so do not put any weight on your foot at all!! You will know, if you do, the pain is pretty bad. Make sure to wear your surgical shoe, but cut off the first strap so it does not rub against you bunion and the top of your toes. Be very careful around animals if you have any. My dog landed on my foot 2 times and it was very painful. I wish they would make a shoe that could cover that part with a hard top. I used a walker my parents had, which helped more than crutches.  Also, when you get the pins out, make sure to take a pain pill before you go in, tell the doc you took a pain pill, but also ask him to spray some freeze and give you a numbing shot in the foot. He told me I would just feel a bit of tugging, but it was worse than that and my toes were pretty sore for the next couple of days. Another thing, when you get your pins out, make sure the doctor bandages your toes so no germs can get inside. There will be an opening that needs to heal on top of your toes. Do not take a shower or bathe for a few days, to make sure the area has healed and no germs get inside. Hope this helps.

Yes, It hurts like hell. It feels like someone of pulling a hot iron out of your foot, The foot swells for about 2-3 days. I am not getting my other foot done. My Dr. is a "teaching Dr." so the residents do it. I should havve charged him for guina pig services.

How long did it take till you can walk without the crutches

I have just been at the doctors office and removed all eight pins after double  bunion surgery and shortening of all toes except from the pinky toes.

It is 3 weeks since the surgery, and taking them just was a bit uncomfortable and weird, not painful.  They came out pretty easily and he just wiggled carefully and pulled lightly.

He said that this was the best time to take them out.  If they stay for longer the toes might look too straight, meaning it would not look natural.

I am so happy that these 3 weeks has passed.  It was very painful for at least the ten first days, and I felt also sick from the painkillers, so stopped taking them after 3 days or so.

Now I feel slightly sore, but not bad at all.  He has done a great job, and my toes and feet looks awesome!

Never thought that could be done.  Will be more recovery time, but am starting to look forward to no pain when wearing shoes due to the bunions, and also I can buy sandals and flip flops.

 

I had hammer toe surgery on 2 toes and a pin on the 4 toe. The pin is the only thing hurting .

 

 

I had rather involved surgery just over 12 days ago, which included repairing my bunion, second hammer toe (which has a removable, visible pin), and removal of a fragmented sesamoid bone. I am doing pretty well overall, and am tapering off pain meds. Every day I am able to do a bit more, which includes upper body/core exercises to stay strong. I am still using one crutch and am, of course, in my post-op "platform" shoe, but I get around relatively well. I elevate whenever I am seated, whether I'm doing work, resting, watching TV, etc. This seems hugely important, as well as continuing to ice the foot. In the beginning, I would get this intense, "gripping" pain throughout the day, generally upon rising or changing position. It would set in even worse by late afternoon/early evening, and I'd have to call it a night by 7 PM. Now it is far better, and is intermittent, but sometimes when it comes on, it feels like my foot fell asleep and was then put into a tourniquet. Is anyone else experiencing this? I gather it's the "throbbing" pain some describe, but to me, it feels more like gripping. Today I hardly had it at all, but I may have overdone my activities in the house (still working from home until cleared to return to the office, at least for part-time work) by evening, as the gripping set in around 8 and was pretty awful. I'm used to it by now, and just know I need to stop, elevate, ice, and take meds as needed. Just curious if others are going through this! Oh, and I am NOT looking forward to the actual removal of my hammer toe pin, but I WILL be psyched to get rid of it! ;) I hope you are all doing okay this evening!