The end of hammertoe misery

There’s good reason Merriam-Webster defines the idiom, “make one’s toes curl,” as “to cause a very strong and unpleasant feeling.”

Anyone who has suffered from a hammertoe—a deformity in which the toe’s middle joint causes the toe to permanently bend inward—will tell you the pain is agonizing and limiting to their everyday mobility and activity.

Hammertoes come with a cascade of negative effects for feet, including corns and sores. They can also impact gait and balance.

Traditional open surgery to treat them requires a hospital visit, large incision, the cutting of tendons, removal of a portion of the joint and securing the toe with pins and wires. A patient can expect about six to eight weeks in recovery with a fair amount of pain.

Lucky for hammertoe sufferers in Cleveland, for the past 30-plus years podiatrist Dr. Eric Trattner has offered a minimally invasive technique to painlessly correct this condition.

“Most people with hammertoes believe their only choices are to live with the pain or have drastic surgery,” he says. “The technique I do involves a very tiny incision, only local anesthesia, and patients walk out of my office in their own shoes. There are no pins or stitches, and it’s done in the comfort of my office, no hospitals.”

He calls the moment he shows the patient their feet after the procedure the “wow” experience.

“They have been living in pain and deformity and suddenly they’re back to normal,” he says.

“Oftentimes they tell me they wish they hadn’t waited so long to have it fixed.”

Once the toe has healed, the corns and irritation usually go away.

Other state-of-the-art and minimally invasive technology Dr. Trattner offers includes laser treatments, Clearanail for nail fungus and Swift Wart microwave treatment.

Dr. Trattner has convenient appointments available at his office in Twinsburg, located at 8900 Darrow Road. Call 330-405-3301 to learn more about your treatment options or visit ClevelandFootDoctor.com.