Duration of sick leave | OP of hammer toes

Duration of sick leave

The duration of the sick leave depends on the individual’s professional activity and personal condition after the surgery. On average, sick leave after the surgery lasts for about 2 weeks. Office work can be resumed early on despite relief of the foot. Occupations that involve frequent standing and walking can often only be resumed after 4 weeks, when the foot can be relieved. Some physical activities may require a gradual reintegration in order to slowly get used to stress again.

Duration until you can do sports again

Depending on the surgical method and the surgeon’s instructions, a 2-4 week post-operative relief period must be observed. Afterwards and after the removal of the wires, mobility must be slowly restored with physiotherapeutic measures.For this purpose, physiotherapeutic training plans are used to perform daily exercises to acquire strength and degrees of movement. Complete natural freedom of movement in the toe can be achieved about 12 weeks after the operation. With a splinting of the toe or a special shoe, light sports can be resumed early on. However, unrestricted exercise is only possible again after about 4-6 months.

What are the alternatives to surgery?

Surgical therapy is the last method of choice for advanced hammer toe. It must be preceded by various diagnostic procedures. The attempt of a conservative therapy should precede the operation, because even advanced clinical pictures can often still be treated conservatively.

However, conservative treatment is difficult and lengthy in cases of severe contractures of the tendons. The operation of hammer toes is often an aesthetic operation. If pain is also present, it can alternatively be treated with adequate pain therapy.

Costs

The cost of the operation can vary greatly. This depends on the extent and complexity of the surgery, the choice of anesthesia and the type of insurance. Whether the operation is performed on an outpatient or inpatient basis also influences the cost of the operation.

These can range from 1500€ to 3000€, taking into account all accompanying circumstances. Both statutory and private health insurance companies usually cover the costs of the operation. For this to happen, there must be a clear indication and no possibility of a successful conservative therapy.