Hammertoe — Easy Surgical Corrections at Any Age

If your toes bend in a manner that is unusual or strange, you might have a hammertoe. Hammertoes can be very painful and sometimes progress to the point of severity where you aren’t able to move your impacted toe.

That might not sound like good news for your feet, but encouragingly, options are available to relieve the symptoms of hammertoes and get rid of the problem altogether. When conservative treatments aren’t enough to help your hammertoes, Dr. Thomas Rambacher, the board-certified podiatrist at Podiatry Hotline Foot & Ankle in Mission Viejo, California, can get rid of your hammertoes for good with minimally invasive surgery.

Find out more about when you should get hammertoe surgical corrections at any age.

Understanding hammertoes

When you have hammertoes, your toe joints, most often the first joint of your toe, are shaped in a form that’s unusual. Your toes on any impacted feet appear to be positioned like the letter “V” if it were upside down.

In the early stages of hammertoes, they appear very flexible, but as they progress, they’re very rigid and difficult to impossible to move. You can develop hammertoes at any age and are more likely to get them if you have a condition like bunions, arthritis, or certain foot injuries.

Signs you have a hammertoe

These are some of the most common indications you might have a hammertoe:

• Your toe joint is hyperflexible.
• Your toe joint is becoming difficult to move.
• You have pain on the top of the toe joint or in the ball of your foot.
• Your toe joint has a callus or corn on or around it.
• The toe joint is inflamed, red, swollen, or has a burning sensation.

If you have symptoms of a hammertoe, make an appointment with Dr. Rambacher for an evaluation and diagnosis.

Should I get surgery for my hammertoe?

Whether you need surgery for your hammertoe depends on how severe they are and your symptoms. Hammertoes that are still flexible can often still be treated with conservative methods.

Conservative treatment for hammertoes includes wearing medical-grade custom orthotics, choosing shoes that feel comfortable with your hammertoe, taking NSAID medications, using padding to relieve discomfort from corns and calluses resulting from hammertoes, and wearing splints can all help relieve your pain. On the other hand, you might be a good candidate for surgery if your hammertoes have become rigid, immobile, or are severe enough to cause open sores or extreme pain not improved by more conservative treatments.

Dr. Rambacher recommends the best treatment option for your hammertoe after a personalized consultation.

Minimally invasive surgical options for hammertoes

If you’re deemed a good candidate for hammertoe surgery, Dr. Rambacher uses the most state-of-the-art surgical techniques to make your procedure minimally invasive. Dr. Rambacher specializes in surgeries with a faster recovery period, smaller incisions, and less pain during your recovery.

Usually, your hammertoe surgery takes place on an outpatient basis, which means you can go home the same day and won’t need to spend any overnight in the hospital. You can also get the surgery under light sedation, avoiding the challenges of general anesthesia. 

The surgery holds your toe in a stable position, which gets rid of your hammertoe and prevents it from redeveloping at a later point.

If your hammertoes are getting worse or causing pain, you might be a candidate for surgery or another treatment. For assistance and individualized treatment, contact our team online or by calling us today.