Stopped toe-lengthening surgery? How a silicone toe prosthesis can help
Yes — separate from any decision about surgery, a silicone toe prosthesis can restore how your toes look. Our customer, whose big toes were short from brachydactyly, stopped lengthening surgery because of the pain, then had non-surgical prostheses made for both feet and showed us their feet in sandals. Whether to try surgery again is a question for your doctors, and results vary from person to person.
What was our customer's concern?
Our customer has brachydactyly in both big toes. Brachydactyly is a condition in which part of a toe or finger bone grows short, so that toe looks noticeably shorter than the rest. Standing and walking were not a problem, but people's eyes kept landing on their toes — barefoot, and even through socks. On summer trips to the water, they never chose sandals or flip-flops that showed their toes.
Why was the lengthening surgery stopped?
As an adult, our customer had surgery to lengthen the toes by widening the space in the bone. The pain during the process became too much to continue. The toes looked the same as before, now with surgical scars as well, and while searching for another option they came across silicone prostheses.
This is one customer's own experience, not a verdict on the surgery itself. The right surgical approach, whether it suits you and whether to try again all differ from person to person, so please discuss them with your medical team.
How does surgery compare with a silicone toe prosthesis?
| Toe-lengthening surgery | Silicone toe prosthesis | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Surgery to lengthen the bone | A custom-made prosthesis worn over the toe |
| Who advises you | Your medical team | Silobionic's clinical and fabrication team |
| What your body goes through | Surgery and a recovery period | No surgery; put on and taken off |
| Aftercare | As advised by your doctors | After-sales support; a remake if repair is not possible |
For our customer, the deciding points were that nothing surgical was involved and that the prosthesis could be kept in use with care.
How did the family feel?
Having seen the surgery stopped once already, the family at the outset tried to talk our customer out of a prosthesis too. Once they saw the finished toes in place, they agreed it had been a good decision and shared in the result.
How is a toe prosthesis made?
- Casting — we take moulds of the foot and toes to shape the prosthesis. In this case both big toes were made together.
- Skin tone — an E-SKIN scanner (SPECTROMATCH, UK) measures the skin tone of your foot digitally, and pigments are mixed to that reading.
- Timeline — three standard visits, about 4–6 weeks from consultation to delivery (1–2 weeks with express production), depending on your feet.
Barefoot, in socks or in sandals, our customer said their feet now looked natural and that much of the self-consciousness had eased. They also agreed to an interview, hoping their story would help others with the same worry. Results vary from person to person.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose a prosthesis instead of toe-lengthening surgery?
Whether to have surgery is a decision to make with your doctors. A silicone prosthesis is a separate, non-surgical way to restore appearance that you can discuss with us.
Can prostheses be made for both feet?
Yes. This customer had prostheses made for both big toes at the same time.
Can a prosthesis be made if I have surgical scars?
Yes — this customer had scars from the earlier surgery. We look at your skin and scarring in person and advise you.
Can I wear sandals with a toe prosthesis?
This customer showed us their feet in sandals after delivery. It can depend on your footwear and activities, so tell us about your routine during the consultation.
