Post hammertoe surgery recovery

On march 6th i had all 4 toes and bunion corrected, pain i would say out of a 10 a 3...the next day i went to school and yesterday the 16th my bandages were removed, I am getting the stitches removed tomorrow, the swelling is pretty bad and the bruising also, but hopefully it will look better in a few mnths. I am scheduled for the other foot next thursday i hope it doesnt hurt either. I am 22 yrs old and ive been suffering from hammertoes since i can remember, been so embarrased to wear sandals i hope i can wear them this summer. I was a litte concerned reading all these horror stories but its not that bad. I just hate the post op shoe is so ugly and uncomfortable, but besides that im alright. never used crutches just a cane the 1st few days. I will keep you posted on my recovery.

I had surgery on both feet on 03/11/09. I have had minor complications and am really quite impressed with my results. I had a bunionectomy on both feet and hammertoe correction on all of my toes. My toes were fixated with wires that were drilled into the bone of each toe. When the wires were taken out my toes swelled and were even painful to look at. I've gotten my swelling to a minimum and now, the only problem I am having is the floppy toe feelin in 2 of my toes..when will this go away?

I had hammertoe surgery yesterday (arthroplasty) on my second toe with part of my joint removed. The procedure was under local anaesthetic, and it was completely painless.

Crutches weren't considered necessary: I was told I could start walking immediately. The consultant said it was OK to cycle, and I cycled to work and back today.

It never crossed my mind that I would have to take time off work. I haven't used painkillers, and although it hurts a bit it didn't stop me sleeping really well last night.

It is obviously different for different people. And it must be worse if you have more than one toe done. But for me the most painful thing is my removed toenail (it had to go, because it had become completely deformed and was too thick to cut).

I would say go for it! I am so much happier already.

Were your hammer toes rigit or flexible? Which way did the doc made the incision (vertically or horizontal?) How did you manage to get around with both feet being done at same time? Would you reccomend it? How much did it shorten your toes, expecially 4,5? How you feel walking? Are there any activities you can no longer do ever after? Where did you have it done? Thank you so much in advance!

hello, i am 14, and a female; i am going to see a specialist on tuesday. I read somewhere that the recovery time is as little as 2 weeks, just wondering how long it actually is; i would like to be swimming and back to my regular life before July 1st. I play hockey and i was wondering if this surgery would affect my skating abilities at all ?
Thank- you for your time.

I just got my surgery done on Friday, just for my left 5th toe. Don't think I'm going to bother doing any others. It's not painful, but uncomfortable. I live in a city and have to walk to the subway, so that's just a pain in the butt. The actual pain was minimal, I was up and walking the dog the next day (cant run or anything, and it was certainly tiring, but doable)


I had NO idea about not wearing heels though. That's just not an option for me! The boot is bad enough. Has anyone else gone through the surgery on one toe and been able to wear high heels again? I have a wedding on Memorial Day, was planning on wearing heeled sandals, I guess I'll rethink that one, but still - will not give up my shoe collection!

I really want to ask whether anyone knows of an alternative sock to wear with their boot. This HUGE stockinette just ain't cuttin it (I have a pin in the toe so I need something that wont get caught on it)

Well after nearly 12 years of knowing my feet were crazy, I finally came to a point- only at age 25 to decide that I was going to do something about it. Between trying to train for a marathon but realizing that my bunion was making more and more shoes complicated, not to mention my rigid hammertoes (really mallet toes because of where it bends) were making shoes that much more challenging.

I had surgery on Friday and woke up with no pain. Honestly, the blogs had me so scared that really that is why I am writing. I had to use crutches while wearing a boot. Now it is Tuesday, and honestly the most intense pain I have experience on a scale form 1 - 10 (10 being high), the highest I have experienced is 6. The feeling is like banging your foot against a piece of solid furniture with that feeling lasting approx 5 - 10 minutes and/or pulsaiting. I was given Celebrex to keep swelling down, and Vicodin for pain. I didn't feel like throwing up but I did feel a bit of nausea if I didn't eat at the same time but I have stopped both meds and now just rely on Motrin if I need it.

Today was my first post-op appointment- my toes are swollen, but my foot as a whole, not really. I had horizontal incisions (toes; vertical at bunion site) with all dissolvable pins placed both at my corrected bunion site and my toes. When I asked why, my doctor (who is a doctor for a major NFL team as well) said that there is a debate between what is best for a doctor and what is best for patient and he opts to do what is best for patient. In two weeks, I will have my stitches out and can get my feet completely wet and resume somewhat regular activities. There will be no need for pin extraction (which can be painful) and there is no need for extra prevention in making sure pins stay in their place with this method. However dissolvable pins takes 15 - 20 minutes more per toe/placement site which is why some doctors opt not to do it.

So yes that is my 2 cents. He said I can go off my cruthes- but that right now is a little scary. In part because of the sensitivity of my foot but also because I have waited for more than enough time to have a "normal" foot that I am scared to take the risk of messing anything up. Good luck with everyone who chooses to go for it! July/August 09. . .Surgery for my right foot.

In response to this post: PostPosted: 02/10/09 - 00:52 Post subject: hammertoe surgery
I had hammertoe surgery on my left foot 5th baby toe. I guess that I am on my foot trying to support my weight on the ball of my foot, walking around too much or wrapping my feet too tight. I keep waking up at night in severe pain in the ball of my foot. It has been over three weeks and I need to go back to work. My doctor would not let me travel. This morning I could not walk! when I woke up I was in so much pain. I am temped to go to the ER. I keep taking Naproxin to keep the swelling and pain at bay."

I had hammertoe surgery on my middle toe on my right foot. My hammertoe was actually caused by a previous situation by which i incurred an injury that a really bad doctor decided to stitch my toe to the ball of my foot and after a few years created a very painful hammertoe. It has been a week. I went back to work already and I have been using a surgical shoe. I have the same problem at night too-really the only real pain I feel, I believe it is caused by poor circulation from the bandages. I think that I will try a heating pad on my foot and not elevate it anymore.

I am very worried about my healing time. I have minimal swelling but my doctor- who has the personality of a doorknob- is not very convincing when he tells me that "everything looks fine". I am just taking it one day at a time. I will keep asking questions and keeping an eye on how my toe is healing.
good luck to you!!

Hello,

I had toe shortening surgery on both my second toes about a week ago, my doctor also straightened my hammertoe on my right foot. The surgery was done in his office under local anesthesia so I was wide awake the entire time. There were no pins involved and the surgery was painless. Although I could hear everything, I did not feel a thing. I refused to look down until everything was stitched up. I was able to walk right after surgery.

I have been out of work for a week and will remain out for another week as the doctor ordered.
The pain has been at a minimum. Honestly I was expecting it to be much worse. My doctor prescribed me pain meds but I never filled the prescription. I never needed it. I iced my toes every hour for maybe 25 Min's for the first week. My toes were honestly only swollen for about 4 or 5 days.

My right foot is healing much faster than my left foot. While they are both still a bit stiff. I am able to walk with full weight on my right foot.

The results are amazing. My toes look and feel so much better.
The other day I went to the grocery store and was able to wear a sandal on my right foot and the surgical shoe on my left. Ive never wore sandals before due to the embarrassment of how my feet used to look. Of course I had a small bandage on my right toe to cover the stitches but it was wonderful.

I am completely confident that my toes will be ready to show off mid summer.

I do not regret the decision I made and highly recommend Dr. Joshua Kaye in Los Angeles.
Hes an amazing foot surgeon and provided me with a nearly painless surgery and recovery and a pair of beautiful toes that I can be proud of.

And get this. My insurance covered the whole thing :-)

I had hammertoe surgery where they insert the pin about 6 weeks ago. So far, I can wear nothing on my feet except some old extra wide New Balance sneakers. The toe is rigid. It is bluish, a little numb and doesn't touch the ground. It does not curl at all so it doesn't match any of my other toes. I can't walk down stairs yet and it has changed my walk from sexy to clunky-old lady-with-sore feet waddle. The pain was horrible the day after surgery. >;) They gave me percoset which is USELESS for the pain. I can only pray that I will regain some mobility in the toe so I can walk properly someday. It doesn't bend at the point where it connects to my foot! I regret having the surgery because the toe wasn't all that painful. Sure, it made an ugly bump on my shoes and would sometimes get a little blister but this rigid dead thing on my foot that used to be my toe is MUCH WORSE!!! There are three types of hammer toe surgery-ask your orthopedist to explain all three and ask for the least amount of bone-work possible! I didn't know enough to do this and just agreed to what I thought was my only option. (like a ninny) Some people can get by with just moving tendons...that is the easiest/least painful way to go if your type of hammertoe allows it. I had the full-shebang with the pin. I wouldn't do it again for a million bucks. Sorry to scare you but this operation is awful and the recovery is soooooo long. Don't do it unless you absolutely have to!!!!!

I had a bunionectomy and hammertoe correction on the 3rd and 4th toes of both feet on 8/18/09. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say the pain would be at most a 6 post-op. I was able to walk (slowly and carefully) with my surgical boots right after the surgery but was given strict instructions to keep my feet elevated and iced for the first couple of days. My feet were kept in bandages for about two weeks and stitches were removed on 8/31/09. I did not have pins in my feet but did have screws used for my bunionectomy. It's been a little over two weeks since my surgery and I've ditched the surgical shoes and slowly adapting to wearing regular shoes. I recently bought a pair of comfy shoes that resemble clogs but are actually soft leather athletic shoes and wore them to a job interview today. Other than my slower rate of walking due to my feet adjusting to the new changes, it wasn't obvious I had foot surgery on both my feet just two weeks prior! The pain was still there but it's much more bearable now and it's more of a nagging feeling than before. I've noticed though that the longer I stay on my feet, the more swollen they become by the end of the day so I've learned not to push myself to do much during this recovery process. I don't stay on my feet for more than several hours at a time and usually end my day elevating them to alleviate the swelling.

My foot surgeon was Dr. Joshua Kaye in Los Angeles (and I've noticed in the prior posts that another guest is also his patient). :-D He's a great doctor and I'm extremely pleased with the results. He has excellent bedside manner and has been very informative and honest throughout the entire process. His assistant, Kathy, is also super sweet and very accomodating. If you're in the LA area and having foot pain/issues, I would highly recommend paying him a visit. It's well worth it!

Btw, he also has a great infomative website he personally created in his spare time. It contains a tremendous amount of information regarding all different types of foot issues and surgeries. I would highly recommend googling his name and visiting his website to educate yourself and to learn more about foot surgery entails and the recovery timeline. It was very helpful to me while researching doctors and was ultimately why I decided to contact Dr. Kaye's office for a consultation.

I had the surgery back in 1990 on both feet with a bunionectomy as well. TODAY, I just left the doctor with pain in the 2nd toe (the former hammertoe). Learned that the bone did not fuse well some years ago and I now have arthritis in that toe...hence the pain. Now, I have to go back in surgery to try to correct the non-fusion in the toe...I did not wear heels a lot after my surgery and just started back because of a job change 2 years ago...MISTAKE. Avoid heels...avoid them...think about it, you are putting all of your weight on your feet at an angle where it can not be good. I now hate that I went back to heels above 2 inches...now it is so painful I am forced to wear tennis shoes or flats with my work attire....HATE IT but it is a fact...high heels are not good!

I had bunions on both feet and all 8 hammer toes two weeks ago. I elevated my feet, iced with minimal walking. My pins and stitches are due to come out in two weeks. The only set back I had was the infection. For ice, use reusable gel begs and apply it on your ankles, because putting regular ice in the zip lock can lick onto your bandage and cause the infection. Infection causes swelling, blueish-redish skin tone and painful, burning sensation which continued for a week. So my doc gave me Cephalexin 500 mg twice a day for 10 days ( I got four more days – finish the course even if it clears infection early). Keep your bandages dry at all times! Pain was manageable the first night and ice and elevation helped a lot! I only needed pain medicine for a few days.

The most important thing is the surgeon you choose. I live in Chicago, but I travelled to New York for this surgery. My feet had a complete makeover. I had ugly corns on all toes, wide feet due to tailors bunions, with long second and third toes gave me shoe size 11 W, I have had enough of physical pain, not being able to enjoy the beach, wear normal open toe shoes, always having to hide my feet in public, at home, from my husband. I never showed my feet to anyone, I was embarrassed. My husband of seven years never saw my feet. I have two kids I hope they didn’t inherit this from me.

Before going with New York option, I interviewed six different, very experienced surgeons in Chicago area, and met no one who knew how (or would agree) to make incisions on the side of the toe. Those with 27 years of experience only knew how they did it back then and they make incisions on top of your foot and toes making ugly permanent scars.. Dr Zong was the only one I could find who did such a beautiful job with side incisions. Big toes and tailor bunions and all four toes were cut on the side. My foot is 30% narrower now. It is amazing. I keep opening my bandages just to look at my new feet every day. I am so excited and pleased with my toes. I am still in my surgical shoe and will be for another two weeks– but I don’t mind it at all, for a change of this magnitude, I could gladly wear it all year if I had to.

All the scars are hidden on the side of my toes and feet. My doc said, the extra skin will naturally pill off along with the corns over the course of six months, so there is no need to cut the corns out scaring your toes.. I cannot believe my feet look so good just two weeks post surgery. I walk with slight discomfort due to the pins and virtually no pain. It takes a little adjustment with first two steps and walking is getting more comfortable every day. My bunions have internal, self-dissolving stitches on a side of my foot. All of my toes have normal parabolic descent as all those beautiful, normal feet out there, (all of my toes were shortened straightened to accomplish that). I cannot bend my toes because I have pins in all 8, but I can feel them all and move them all at once up and down along with my big toes. All of my toes are stitches to the back of my foot to prevent them from lifting up during the healing. So when I walk, one discomfort is the stitched pulling in those areas on the back of the toes. My tendons were released as well with dot-like incisions to keep my toes in laying straight down position.

I have read so many bad stories and most of them gone wrong due to the surgeon’s negligence. I can highly recommend my doc Oliver Zong in New York foot care. His office is on 80 maiden lane. Google him and see his website. He will do the surgery and Dr Dina (his right hand) will be like your mother, always there to answer all of your questions. He and his staff were amazing. My insurance covered everything, I only had to pay $250 out of pocket + travel and hotel (which I have also submitted to insurance). He did my right foot first on Friday and three days later, on Monday was my second foot, and three days later on Friday same week I flew back to Chicago. My husband traveled with me. United airlines has a free wheelchair service from the cab to the plane and back to the cab - take advantage of it! Even though I could have walked on my crouches - I loved the priority boarding, and skipping the long check-in lines at both LGA and ORD airports. Everyone was extremely accommodating and understanding.

For those who have any doubts about the surgery – I can assure you – no matter the state of your foot – it can be made over – the key is your surgeon. Everything else is time & healing. I was able to walk one week later. With so much work being done on my both feet- I could not believe the recovery time was so short. I am still in state of shock that after 30 years of suffering and pain, personally, emotionally and physically – my feet could look and feet like this.

As far as the heels go, my doc said – sexy open toe sandals with a moderate heel is not a problem at all. The key is to give your toes enough room and wear high heels in moderation.. I plan to wear sexy open toe shoes to dinner parties, restaurants, and to bed :-) . Of course, everything is ok in moderation. To be honest, I want all my shoes to be open toe to make up for all the time I wasn't able to wear them! I cant wait for a reveal day to my husband on Christmas nite. I need to get creative and plan something extra special for his patience and help..

Good luck to all of you. I share your anxiety. My best advice is - do your homework on the surgeon! Its 99% of your success.

I recently found out that I need surgery on both feet for hammertoes. I would like to plan the surgery over our winter break (3 weeks). Does anyone know of some excellent foot surgeons in the LA/Long Beach CA area? I am in my 40's, active, and in excellent health.

Hello all. Im 18 years old and I have a hammertoe on each food (my middle toe on each). My left foot is just now starting to give me some problems and I have talked to my mom about getting the surgery done when we have the money. I dont do well with pain at all, and have never had surgery so just the thought of it terrifies me. I personally would love to wait a few more years before getting it done but I have heard getting the surgery before it gets really gets bad, is better. Is this true and if so should I go ahead and get my right foot done even though I havent had any problems with it yet? And finally, I know in some cases pins are needed so I was wondering in what cases are pins needed and do they hurt?