When we talk about toe shortening in our practice, we almost always are referring to the smaller toes. Patients more often develop corns, pain, and hammertoes on the lesser toes from them being too long in their shoes. Occasionally, however, sometimes patients ask if they can shorten the big toe.

Of course we can!

The big toe is too long usually due to genetics. Patients can get the same symptoms to the big toe as they do the smaller toes when they are too long. By shortening the big toe we can reduce pain in shoes, corns, or keep them from hammering.

Toe shortening recovery for the big toe is similar to when we do toe shortening to the smaller toes. Surgery is done under twilight anesthesia, where we remove a section of bone through an incision of the side of the foot. If you have a bunion, we also can correct this at the same time. After we remove the section of bone we use pins to hold it in place. These pins are buried underneath the skin, and do not stick out of your foot. After your toe is done healing, we remove the pins under local anesthesia usually in between 8 and 12 weeks after surgery. During that time you may not run, jump, or walk for exercise. You are able to stand and walk for limited amounts of time, and you do not necessarily need crutches. Patients are usually able to get into a gym shoe after three weeks.

Cosmetically, when we shorten any toe, a full cosmetic result takes 6 months to 1 year. Our best photos in our gallery are all taken at about that time after surgery.

If toe shortening or bunion surgery is something you are interested in, please reach out for a consultation by visiting the “contact us” link on our website at footfirst.com.