Hammertoe Surgery and Neuropathy

Hi Paula -
Surgery went well, thanks for asking. It has been almost 3 months, and I am glad to report that at this time I have no regrets! I had my left foot done, so once off narcotics, I was able to drive in the shoe I had to wear for 3 weeks. I am not keen on any pills that increase my risk of losing balance and falling, but only took 2 doses of the oxycodone during the 1st 24 hours, and then only took Ibuprofen for a day, and that was it, so I'd say the discomfort was very tolerable. It wasn't a constant pain, it only hurt to walk for a couple of days, but since the toes (4 of them) were the area affected, I could at least walk more on my heel until it got easier on the toes. I had my first peek of my foot when my bandage was changed after 10 days and was surprised that it looked worse than it felt, but the doctor was pleased then, and at the 3 week mark when the rods and stitches were pulled.

The toes look and feel better. They fill my shoe properly and my gait seems to be better as I can roll off my toes a little when I step vs having one foot gripping like a claw when walking. I think the most difficult part of the recovery was walking with one foot in the surgical shoe for 3 weeks. It was like a 1" thick brick, and I didn't have any street shoe or slipper I could wear to match it, so I was lopsided for 3 weeks, and I was certainly feeling it in my knees and hips. I told my surgeon that in hindsight, maybe I should have bought 2 of the shoes so I would have been more balanced. After the boot was gone, I was able to wear my regular shoes again.

I do not need my right foot done at this point, but if they started curling, I wouldn't hesitate to do it. Though they say you can drive with your right foot with the shoe, but I'm hoping I won't have too. I want to observe how my left toes adjust over time. Nobody said that PN caused my hammertoe development, they say it happens to people of all kinds. But if my toes disappoint and start reverting back to the pre-surgery position, then I'd have to wonder. The good news is that my surgeon says that is unlikely to happen!

Good luck with your decision. I know there are so many factors to consider. Our bodies have already been through so much and we get tired. I think what motivated me was worrying that it wouldn't get easier the longer I waited and hemmed and hawed about it, and I did that for 2 years. I talked to my PCP who thought it had a good chance of improving my current state, which would help my future state. We also discussed how aging and further degeneration of strength and ability could one day remove me from being a candidate for surgery. That was the reality check for me.

Am so glad it worked for you and it sounds like you are a very positive person
Could you share the name of the procedure that was done. My dr is suggesting
I have something done for
my left foot that was affected by a stroke I had
Thank you

Hi, it was a basic hammertoe surgery- I believe the medical name included “resection” and “fusion”. My big toe was not touched. The 3 inner toes had the resection and little straitening wires that stayed in place before being removed after 3 months. The little toe did not get a wire but was straightened in the process. I think sometimes I prepare for the worst which makes me so happy and relieved when it turns out that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be! Good luck if you do it - I haven’t had a stroke so I’m not sure how that adds ti the equation.

Hi Paula -
Surgery went well, thanks for asking. It has been almost 3 months, and I am glad to report that at this time I have no regrets! I had my left foot done, so once off narcotics, I was able to drive in the shoe I had to wear for 3 weeks. I am not keen on any pills that increase my risk of losing balance and falling, but only took 2 doses of the oxycodone during the 1st 24 hours, and then only took Ibuprofen for a day, and that was it, so I'd say the discomfort was very tolerable. It wasn't a constant pain, it only hurt to walk for a couple of days, but since the toes (4 of them) were the area affected, I could at least walk more on my heel until it got easier on the toes. I had my first peek of my foot when my bandage was changed after 10 days and was surprised that it looked worse than it felt, but the doctor was pleased then, and at the 3 week mark when the rods and stitches were pulled.

The toes look and feel better. They fill my shoe properly and my gait seems to be better as I can roll off my toes a little when I step vs having one foot gripping like a claw when walking. I think the most difficult part of the recovery was walking with one foot in the surgical shoe for 3 weeks. It was like a 1" thick brick, and I didn't have any street shoe or slipper I could wear to match it, so I was lopsided for 3 weeks, and I was certainly feeling it in my knees and hips. I told my surgeon that in hindsight, maybe I should have bought 2 of the shoes so I would have been more balanced. After the boot was gone, I was able to wear my regular shoes again.

I do not need my right foot done at this point, but if they started curling, I wouldn't hesitate to do it. Though they say you can drive with your right foot with the shoe, but I'm hoping I won't have too. I want to observe how my left toes adjust over time. Nobody said that PN caused my hammertoe development, they say it happens to people of all kinds. But if my toes disappoint and start reverting back to the pre-surgery position, then I'd have to wonder. The good news is that my surgeon says that is unlikely to happen!

Good luck with your decision. I know there are so many factors to consider. Our bodies have already been through so much and we get tired. I think what motivated me was worrying that it wouldn't get easier the longer I waited and hemmed and hawed about it, and I did that for 2 years. I talked to my PCP who thought it had a good chance of improving my current state, which would help my future state. We also discussed how aging and further degeneration of strength and ability could one day remove me from being a candidate for surgery. That was the reality check for me.

Debbie, I am going to have hammertoe surgery in April 2024. I am so glad this operation has helped you. I am hoping for the same. My second toe has totally hammered and the 3rd toe is starting to. I will be getting all four toes done but was wondering why I couldn't get the big toe
operated on as well? It seems to bend over to the right and somewhat floppy.
Also, where did you have the genetic testing done? I am looking a Invitie but haven't taken the plunge yet.

Good morning -
I did wonder about my big toe as well, but my surgeon said the X-ray didn’t indicate the need. What I did notice was a “behavioral” issue with my big toe. Because my other 4 toes were curling, I found that I was always walking with trying to keep my big toe up, like trying to bend it up to point to the sky and lift it off the floor. I know the reason I adopted this behavior was hoped to keep my curled toes off the floor so that they wouldn’t drag under and cause me to trip or fall.

Bring barefoot or I should say stocking feet was when the need to lift my big toe was greatest, but it just became the way I walked, even with shoes on. So now that the surgery has been done in the 4 smaller toes, I have to give my big toe time to relax now and work with my brain to see that I don’t need to raise it anymore. My surgeon says it may take awhile for the big toe to trust and adapt.

Ask your surgeon to help explain your situation? There must be a good reason as we certainly want to get them all corrected at the same time if needed. When I go back next month, I’m going to make sure he looks at my step to see if my big toe learning is on track. It is strange how aging alone works hard on our toes (and everything else). I’m glad you’re doing what you can now to help reduce your fall risk.

The Genetics group in my medical system used Invitae for some general and cardiac marker testing they did. For Neuropathy, they used a company called Variantyx because they could test some DNA for Ataxia things. The other company could have tested for CMT, which my insurance would have covered. But I agreed to using the other company and paying for the Ataxia test not covered. Good luck with finding any answers there!