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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM

Hammertoe surgery

toe nails are not attachef

toe nails are not attached

Both feet are different from hammertoe surgery

Both feet are different from hammertoe surgery

I recently had hammertoe surgery but im concerned they may never look the same. My toe nails are crooked and not attached. I had the surgery in November its now going on feb??? What should I do??? I rub mederma on my feet once a day but I see no change. Will I ever be able to wear sandles again. Im at age 25

RESPONSE

Hi,

You really need to speak to your surgeon about your concerns. With scarring and discoloration, the earlier you address these issues, the better the possibility of improvement. I am making the assumption that is why you are using Mederma.
I have no idea why your toenails are loose as that is not a typical finding in hammertoe surgery.
Hopefully, prior to consenting to surgery you were educated to the potential problems with hammertoe surgery. Every surgery has potential complications but specific to hammertoe surgery some of the post operative considerations include swollen toes which in most cases diminish over time, but in some individuals the toes can stay permanently swollen particularly the second toe. Discoloration is another potential problem but over time the color usually returns to normal. Stiffness in the toes is also another concern since most, but not all hammertoe surgeries require remodeling of the joint which generally leads to varying degrees of stiffness.
I am hoping you did not have this surgery for cosmetic purposes but rather because you had pain and were unable to wear shoes without discomfort.
If, the reason you did have surgery was because of pain and now you are no longer in pain and can wear closed shoes than most people would consider the surgery successful in spite of the appearance of your toes.
As I said earlier, loose nails are not a usual complication of this type of surgery, so I would suggest you have a doctor look at them to determine why they are loose.
If the answers provided here do not meet your expectations and you get no satisfaction from your surgeon, then your best bet would be to get a second opinion by a doctor in your area.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation

ScienceDirect

Stanford Health Care

Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Mount Sinai Hospital

Institute for Chronic Pain

University of Florida Health

American Family Physician

Cedars-Sinai

University of Maryland Medical Center

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San Diego, CA

Dr. Mitnick, Just want to say thank you so very much for your quick response and very informative reply! After reading what you had to say, I called the doctor's office and was able to get in and see him the same day as my injury. Toe was x-rayed and luckily, it is not broken or fractured. Very badly bruised and will probably lose the toe nail. And although my toe and toe nail are still very black and blue and very sore, they ARE both starting to feel a little better. So again, thank you! I am so very happy that I came across your website. The service you provide is outstanding and immeasurable!

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Wonderful advice

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Thank you for your response. It sounds like a good plan to me. He did not cut the wart out first ...

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