Corn Removal Surgery

Toe Corns and other lumps

A corn is a small hard area of dead compacted skin over the knuckle or knuckles of the toes.  Almost all patients will have an underlying bend in the toe, which raises the knuckle and rubs in closed footwear.  This is usually a hammertoe (middle joint) or mallet-toe (end joint) deformity.  You can also have a lump without the hard skin, with a small swelling under the lesion, this is termed a bursitis.

Why can’t I get rid of them?

Treatments such as chemical creams, corn pads and plasters, deflective padding, and chiropody care, can all be tried initially.  However, corns are normally very stubborn and unsightly and often prevent patients showing their feet in open sandals.  Once these become chronic, non-surgical treatments do not address the underlying bony bend in the toe and therefore the lumps often recur again and again.

Why Surgical Removal?

A skin plasty, which surgically removes the corn lesion, can be tried for some cases if the toes are relatively straight and if the rub lesion is small.  However, this is only around 50% successful.

Most patients will require the toe to be surgically straightened to correct the underlying reason for the corns.  Normally a simple arthroplasty can be undertaken, where a small piece of the knuckle is removed to stop the bony rub and straighten the toe (around 95% successful).  This takes less than 10 minutes per toe and requires 3 small stitches, which are removed at 2-3 weeks after surgery.  We recommend taking around two weeks off work, although working from home is acceptable immediately after the surgery.  The foot will be dressed and we will provide a surgical overshoe.

In more extreme cases, or if the patient wants shortening as well, then a fusion (arthrodesis) can be performed – see “Toe Shortening” page for reference.

The Venue

99% of our patients are happy to have a local anaesthetic, which we in our day-case clinic in Chingford, North London. Further details are provided at the time of booking.  The surgery can be undertaken under a general anaesthetic in Central London, although we advise that this raises the cost considerably.