Hammertoe Repair Surgery in Bongaigaon

Hammertoe repair surgery in Bongaigaon is performed to fix a hammertoe, which is a curled toe. Hammertoe can occur for various reasons, including rheumatoid arthritis, ill-fitting shoes, and muscle abnormalities. Hammertoes can cause pain, irritation, difficulty finding comfortable shoes, inflamed sores, and skin infections. All of these symptoms can be alleviated with hammertoe surgery in Bongaigaon. To straighten the bones, the surgeon can either remove sections of the toe bone, cut and transplant the tendon, or fuse the bones together. General anesthesia is used for hammertoe repair surgery in Bongaigaon. You can go home the same day if you are stable following surgery and have no complications. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to recover following surgery. You can begin walking with special shoes a few days after surgery. Avoid putting pressure on the toes until they have totally healed.

A hammertoe is a toe that stays in a curled position. This can occur in more than one toe and can be seen simultaneously in one or both feet. Wearing ill-fitting shoes that narrow towards the toes, pushing them into a bent position is the cause of hammertoes in most people. Rheumatoid arthritis (arthritis due to immune system disorder) and muscle disorders also cause hammertoes.
Hammertoes cause a lot of friction against the surface of the shoes. This leads to corn, calluses, bunions, sores, and thick skin development. The sores can also get infected, leading to pain and discomfort. You could be treated symptomatically and advised to alter your footwear. Exercises to stretch the tendons and flatten the hammertoe will also be recommended.
A hammertoe repair procedure is only used as a last resort to assist you in getting rid of these symptoms. The surgery is done under general anesthesia. It can be done using various techniques depending on whether your toe can be straightened.

• Flexible Hammertoe- If you can straighten your hammertoe, it is known as a flexible hammertoe. The surgery for this type involves lengthening the tendon that keeps the toe in a flexed position. A tendon from the bottom of the toe is transferred to the top to hold the toe in place.
• Fixed HammerToe- If the surgeon cannot pull the toe straight during the physical examination, it is called a Fixed HammerToe. This condition implies that the contracture is so advanced that simple tendon lengthening is insufficient. The surgeon will have to cut through the bone to loosen it. After the surgery, the surgeon uses pins or screws to hold the bone ends together to fuse and heal.

Hammertoe repair surgeries are done under general anesthesia. Sometimes, a nerve block may numb you to the pain. It is done as an outpatient procedure. Once the pain and discomfort subside, you can start walking with the help of crutches and specially designed shoes that will help avoid pressure on the toes till they heal completely. Recovery from this surgery takes about 6 to 8 weeks.

Hammertoe surgery in Bongaigaon is not done as a cosmetic procedure to make your toes look good but is performed to relieve the symptoms of hammertoe. When your toes flex, your surgeon will initially try conservative treatment methods. He may suggest you wear well-fitting shoes and teach simple exercises to help stretch your toes. Surgery is recommended when these methods fail. The indications for surgery include-

• Unbearable pain and discomfort
• Corns on the feet
• Infected, painful sores
• Inability to find shoes that fit well

This surgery should be avoided if you have an active infection, health issues that would be complicated by surgery, and poor blood circulation in the feet.

Hammertoe repair surgery in Bongaigaon will be performed by an orthopedic surgeon as an outpatient procedure. Here is how you can prepare for the surgery-

• You can ask your surgeon to explain the details of the procedure along with the outcome and prognosis. You will be asked to sign an informed consent form agreeing to proceed with the procedure.
• Discuss your medical history and inform your surgeon-
  • All the medications that you are currently taking for your health conditions
  • Any dietary supplements and herbs that you are taking
  • Allergies towards medicines, if any.
• You will be asked to stop taking medications like blood thinners two weeks before the surgery (to prevent excessive bleeding during and after surgery)
• Try to quit smoking. Nicotine can affect blood circulation and delay healing.
• You will be told to stop drinking and eating from midnight before the surgery.
• You will be advised to bring a pair of comfortable, slip-on shoes to wear after the surgery as you cannot wear your regular shoe on the operated foot.
• You will be asked to arrange for someone to drive you home after the surgery.

Hammertoe repair surgery in Bongaigaon is done under general anesthesia. The procedure takes about an hour to complete. The technique used to operate on your toe will depend on its flexibility. Here is what happens during the surgery-

• You will be administered general anesthesia to put you to sleep.
• An intravenous (IV) line will be started to administer fluids and antibiotics.
• A nurse will clean and disinfect the surgical site, i.e., your toe
• The surgeon will then operate on your toe depending on the type of hammertoe you have:-
  • Flexible Toe
    • The surgeon will make an incision on the top and bottom of the toe
    • A tendon from underneath your toe is cut and attached to the tendon at the top.
    • Once the tendon is attached, the surgeon closes the incisions with sutures.
  • Fixed Toe
    • The surgeon makes an incision on the toes to access the bony prominence.
    • The bone is then cut, and a small piece of the bone is removed. This helps the toe to get straightened.
    • The two ends of the straightened toe are now fixed together with the help of pins. This allows scar tissue to fill in the space between the two ends.
    • Fusion is another option. Here the ligaments, tendons, and bone are cut. A K-wire holds the ends of the bones together until they heal.
    • The surgeon may even use rods and screws to keep the bones in place until they heal.
    • The incisions are closed by sutures.
• Once the surgery is completed, you will be shifted to a recovery room for observation.

Surgery for hammertoe repair takes an hour to complete. You can go home the same day once the effects of the anesthesia have worn off and your vital parameters are stable. Recovery at home is crucial, and here is how it looks-

• You will feel pain and discomfort in your feet due to the surgery. The surgeon will prescribe pain medications for the same.
• The operated foot needs to be rested completely. Do not put any pressure on the operated foot. Keep it elevated by propping it on a couple of pillows for the first 3 to 4 days.
• Avoid walking as much as possible. You can walk or hop around on the other foot with the help of crutches. 
• You will have bandages on your leg for 2 weeks. It will be removed on the same day as your stitches. Keep the bandaged area clean and dry.
• If you have a wire in place, keep the area well-protected by wearing socks. Clean and dry the wire well after showering.
• After about 2 weeks, you will be asked to put gentle pressure on your toes and walk normally. You will be given a shoe with a wooden sole for walking for 4 weeks.
• After that, you will be advised to walk wearing soft, deep, and wide shoes.
• You will need about 6 to 8 weeks to recover completely.
• The pins and wires are removed in your surgeon’s office after recovery.
• Once the recovery is complete, wear shoes that are roomy around the toes. Avoid high-heeled shoes.
• Remember that your shoe size may undergo a change after the surgery.

Hammertoe repair surgery in Bongaigaon is a procedure that seems simple and beneficial. However, there are a few risks associated with the surgery that you need to be aware of before consenting to this surgery.

Benefits of hammertoe repair surgery

• Simple procedure
• Done as an outpatient procedure
• High success rate
• Low risk of complications

Risks of hammertoe repair surgery

• Risks of general anesthesia like nausea, vomiting, dizziness
• Poor alignment of the toes
• Injury to the nerves
• An extremely stiff toe
• Shortening of the toe
• Loss of blood supply to the toe
• Altered appearance of the foot due to the toe surgery

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