Before your surgery, make sure you have scheduled time off. While you will likely not require the full six weeks off, take as much time as you need until you feel comfortable. Your normal routine will be interrupted and things will take longer to accomplish, or may not get done at all, so expect more time to do tasks.
Hammertoe surgery can be done on an outpatient basis in our office or a surgery center using a local anesthetic, sometimes combined with sedation. The surgery takes about 15 minutes to perform. Up to four small incisions are made and the tendons are rebalanced around the toe so that it no longer curls. Patients can usually walk immediately after the surgery wearing a special surgical shoe. Minimal or no pain medication is needed following the surgery.
Icing and elevation of the foot is recommended during the first week following the procedure to prevent excessive swelling and to promote healing. It is also important that the dressing be kept clean and dry to prevent infection. Two weeks after the surgery, the sutures are removed and a wide athletic shoe can replace the post-operative surgical shoes. Patients can then gradually increase their walking and other physical activities.
Keep your bandages on as long as your podiatrist recommends and try not to get them wet. We sell in our offices a bag that goes over your foot and makes showering and bathing more convenient. Your podiatrist will tell you to lay off the high heels and other shoes for a bit, or even completely, until you are recovered. Hammertoes may come back on their own, based on your foot mechanics and structure, so there's no need in speeding up the process with impractical shoes. And no one wants to have surgery again!
If you're an athlete, take your time getting back into your routine. When you feel pain in the surgical area, stop your activity immediately. You wouldn't want to undo all the good work you've done!
If you have a foot deformity, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Foot Deformity Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
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