3rd time lucky with hammer toe? Or not?

Gosh I feel for you Caracveney. My mum was 91 when she died 3 years ago. She had hammer toe both feet and did nothing about it, until one was amputated and she never went back to have the other done. That's what they did in the old days! She wrapped her toes every day. She was a cyclist and rambler and very active. I follow in her footsteps, so when I saw the hammer toe coming (aged 68) I had it done on 9th Feb, together with mild bunion and mallet toe, both adjacent to 2nd toe, reduction.  Here.I am one foot in bandage, 6 weeks and 2 days post op. This Thursday the bandage comes off and I am told to take in wide trainers!! I walked 1 1/2 miles yesterday on crutches and medical shoe, with 2 stops enroute. I am a gym enthusiast, obsessive bridge and lawn bowler and I lead Rambler's walks. That is why I had surgery. The choice was watch myself slowly become a cripple like my mum or do something about it. The worst that could happen, yes is it growing back. So be it, I have tried. My pins were taken out nearly 2 weeks ago.  They were in the mallet and hammer toes. That was a turning point. I have been walking around the house without being lopsided with the medical shoe. I have been doing housework and planning a holiday before I am on duty one day a week for my first grand child on 11 April. Not booked yet as I would hate to go anywhere and not be able to walk a couple of miles at least. Wishful thinking I am sure. I was lucky to have my op done in a private hospital on the NHS (LONDON). My big toe was growing under the hammer toe but he has been realigned with the mild bunion removed. So that foot looks now a lot slimmer than the other foot (which also has a mild bunion). It's never ending isn't it! I found a shoe shop in London,  They have a sale on at the mo and I could forward you the email if you wish. I visit the shop in Piccadilly Circus. I pay a lot for my shoes and they last. Mephisto is the brand I like.  I will go down the road of orthotics (£390 a pair as they take an X-ray of your feet so they are bespoke). Let's look after our feet. I found that I I was the world's worst patient, throwing tantrums and being really depressed as it has been a trial to have a bath as that's all we have! Last lap now

You could have insoles made, which have a loop build in to hold the toe down. Difficult decision, mybe see a different surgeon and ask for a second opinion. Every further operation will bring more problems, possible. But worth to go and investigate with foot surgeons.

Thank you, Brenda and Susan.  I appreciate your comments.  I feel that the toe (now toes, as the third one is now out of shape as it is under the 2nd) one has gone too far to 'encourage' them back into shape but it might be that if I had them 'done', I would have to have both toes broken and re-set.  The third one is well set underneath the others.  

Re. your mother, Brenda.  I think that people just accepted it as their 'lot' when our mothers were younger.  My mum was the same - her bunion went at a right angle across her toes but she would never listen to encouragement to have it done.  She died at 84, having never spent one day or night in hospital (except to give birth to my older brother), and she still managed to walk a fair distance to the bus stop, the shops etc.  So, I feel a bit that I am taking up NHS resources yet again, but I don't have an alternative.  But I do feel that the way I walk on that foot is affecting my arthritic hip.  I will investigate the shoe shop that you mentioned, Brenda, and also have a look online re these insoles, Susan, which no-one had ever mentioned.  They may well have been what I needed when I first realised that the toes were becoming a problem again, but suspect that ttoes are too far gone.  But also, I guess it won't hurt to get referred to the hospital again to see if it really is out of the question to have it done again.  Many thanks.

Does your foot look like this? I am 20 months post op. and my foot has been like this since day one....very disapppointed...so very, very difficult to find anything that fits on my feet. Wearing Soft Sketcher Summer Trainers and nothing else...grim ....but tomorrow back at NHS hospital for an assessment for a semi bespoke pair of shoes, might be an avenue you could possibly go down..who knows they might actually be comfortable..

Hi, Sorry to hear you have had two failed hammertoe operations. I had the third surgery on my hammertoe 2 weeks ago.  I had the first surgery June 2014 and the second surgery April 2015.

September 2011 I had a scarf/akin osteotomy for a bunion on my right foot which failed. April 2014 I had a further scarf/akin osteotomy to correct the failed one, which also failed.  When I had the third surgery on my hammertoe I also had a chevron osteotomy to correct the second failed bunion surgery.  Let's hope it is third time lucky.