Do I need wires sticking out of my toes after hammertoe surgery?
Short answer: Dr Lafferty does not use percutaneous K-wires that protrude from the ends of the toes. Where fixation is required, he plans an internal fixation strategy suited to the procedure, avoiding an external pin tract and later removal of an exposed wire.
An exposed wire can require pin-site care, may catch or move accidentally and creates a direct track from the skin toward deeper tissue. Avoiding that external component is intended to reduce pin-site infection opportunity, minimise discomfort and inconvenience, and support a smoother recovery pathway.
This approach does not eliminate infection, pain, delayed union or implant-related risk, and it cannot guarantee quicker bone healing. Comparative studies show that both exposed K-wires and internal devices can work; each has a different complication and cost profile.