Haglund’s deformity or syndrome is a protrusion on the back of the heel caused by an enlargement of the calcaneal bone. While it doesn’t necessarily require surgery, this deformity can effectively be treated with calcaneoplasty. But, patients often worry about Haglund’s deformity surgery scar – what can you expect in regards to scarring? We talk about this topic in the following text, so be sure to stick around.
Like with any other surgical procedure, Haglund’s deformity surgery may leave a scar. However, the visibility of the scar depends on how large the surgical incision was, which depends on the type of procedure performed. If you’ve undergone a minimally invasive surgery, you don’t have anything to worry about.
What Does the Surgical Procedure and Incision Look Like?
Haglund’s deformity that doesn’t react to non-surgical treatments and causes pain and other unpleasant symptoms needs to be treated surgically. The procedure to correct this problem is called a calcaneoplasty – it involves remodeling the posterior edge of the calcaneus.
There are several surgical techniques that your foot doctor can use. So, depending on which technique they choose, the incision will look different, and, as a consequence, the scar will look different as well. Let’s go through the most common techniques and see what they entail in regard to incisions.
- Minimally invasive calcaneoplasty – Since the procedure is minimally invasive, the surgeon makes two small puncture incisions on both sides of the Achilles tendon. The recovery is fast, and the scars are almost invisible.
- Open calcaneoplasty – If you’re undergoing open surgery for Haglund’s deformity, your surgeon has to make a bigger incision, about 4-5 cm. This means that you will have a bigger scar, but it won’t necessarily mean that it will look bad.
- Non-open calcaneoplasty – This procedure is ultrasound-guided, which means that the doctor uses ultrasound to avoid damage to the tissues. In this case, the incision is just 1 mm, so there won’t be a visible scar afterward.
- Heel bone correction – Otherwise known as Zadek surgery, this correction involves an osteotomy of the heel bone. Whether or not there will be a scar depends on the technique the surgeon chooses – it can be an open surgery, but it can also be a minimally invasive one.
What Can You Expect in Terms of Scarring?
Scars from surgical incisions are usually narrow and a bit paler than the surrounding skin. Unless you have a tendency to form excess scar tissue, the scar after your Haglund’s deformity surgery will be almost unnoticeable. In rare cases, patients can develop hypertrophic scars or keloids.
Tips to Minimize Scar Appearance
The good thing about scars is that there are certain measures you can take to minimize their appearance after the recovery period. First and foremost, you should follow your doctor’s instructions for post-op care. The scar care doesn’t end when the sutures are removed – you will need to continue to care for it for at least a year.
If you want your scar to be almost invisible, you need to pay attention to cleaning the surgical site until the incision is completely healed. Don’t scratch or pick at the incision, no matter how itchy it gets (some itching is normal after surgery). Don’t put excessive pressure on the incision site, as it may affect scarring. Make sure that your scar is never exposed to the sun, as it will stay red longer. Consider vitamin E, steroids, or silicone-based products for scar treatment.
Schedule the Operation With Your Surgeon in Miami
If you want to get rid of your Haglund’s deformity once and for all, you’ll need the help of a skilled surgeon – our Luxe Foot Surgery clinic has doctors who are more than capable of fixing this problem. Contact us to schedule your free first consultation, and let’s develop a plan to make your feet the healthiest they can be!
References
- Luxe Foot Surgery – Haglund Deformity Surgery
- Sanara MedTech – HOW TO DIMINISH POST SURGICAL SCARS
