How Likely Is Someone To Need Hammer Toe Surgery?

Whenever a patient and doctor discuss the possibility of hammer toe surgery, there is always a question of how likely the procedure is to be necessary. A podiatrist will tell you this varies based on several factors so let's look at what those are and how they might affect the prognosis for surgery.

Success or Failure of Other Options

Hammer toe surgery is usually pretty far down the list of things a doctor will recommend. Generally, a practitioner will want to start with the most basic and non-invasive potential solutions. That usually means looking at possible solutions like shoe inserts and physical therapy. A doctor will usually want to exhaust other potential options before moving toward a more invasive approach.

Notably, many insurers require trying other methods, too. Consequently, even if a doctor believes hammer toe surgery is the inevitable endpoint of the process, they may have to show the patient's insurance company that they honestly tried every other reasonable option. Only once you've been through this process will the insurer approve and cover the more aggressive solution of hammer toe surgery.

Rigidity

The rigidity of the toe will also be a factor in determining if the patient is a candidate for surgery. The doctor will perform X-rays to get a sense of how badly damaged and misaligned the bones in the foot currently are. Likewise, they'll look for whether the bony material is sticking out from the side of the foot enough to justify removing the protrusion.

A doctor will typically be more open to non-surgical solutions if the hammer toe isn't fully rigid, yet. If other solutions are likely to just waste time or even aggravate the problem, then a podiatrist is far more likely to rule those out and move toward a surgical answer.

High Levels of Numbness or Pain

A hammer toe usually comes with sensations of either pain or numbness, depending on exactly how the pressure in the foot is acting on the nerves. Doctors will try to manage this with prescribed pain reliever pills and local injections. However, hammer toe surgery often offers the best quality of life relative to trying to endure pain or using more aggressive pain management options.

Skin Breaks

Understandably, a protrusion in the foot can rub against the inside of shoes. In the worst cases, this produces enough friction that the skin will break open. Potentially, this can lead to bleeding, scabbing, and seeping. Likewise, prolonged skin openings can quickly become sources of infections. Especially if a patient experiences repeated skin infections after trying options like orthotics, the doctor may be inclined to operate. 

For more information about hammer toe surgery, contact a local company.