How painful is K wire removal?

The removal of K-wires is usually very quick – each wire removal only takes one to two seconds. Your child may feel tugging, along with some very brief discomfort. Young patients who have had the procedure usually say ‘it wasn’t too painful’ or ‘it’s OK, it’s just a little sore’.

Can I walk after K wire removal?

The foot must be kept dry, dressed and the k-wire protected in a post operative shoe for six weeks after the operation. At 6 weeks, the K- wire is removed and the foot can then be placed in normal footwear and normal bathing can be resumed. The toe joint will not bend after this procedure.

How long do K wires stay in foot?

These k-wires will remain in your toe(s) for up to 6 weeks while you heal (see image below), after which, the surgeon will surgically remove these k-wires.

Is swelling normal after K wire removal?

In most people the general swelling reduces dramatically in the first week after the operation. Local swelling around the surgical site can persist for several months. Local swelling can be helped by massaging the tissues around the injured part.

Can K-wires be left in?

K-wires can be buried and left in situ until union or they can be left unburied and require removal after four weeks, with plaster immobilisation until union. There is no consensus as to whether wire burial is preferable or not.

Are K-wires always removed?

Most often, K-wires are removed sometime after the bone has healed sufficiently. There are exceptions if the wire is buried deep inside a bone, but the majority of the pins are removed once healing is complete (or at least to a point where the broken bone is stable).

How do you remove K wire from your foot?

The K-wires stick out of the skin so that they can be easily removed once the bone has healed. They are covered with a dressing and a plaster cast and you / the patient will not be able to see them; alternatively they may be exposed out of the toe/finger. The K-wires can usually be removed in the Outpatient Department.

How are K-wires removed from finger?

Can K-wires get wet?

24 hours after sutures are removed, the surgical area can get wet in the shower. Wait until 1 week after the K-kire is removed before soaking in the bathtub or a hot tub. The K-wires will be removed in week three.

Are K-wires considered internal fixation?

Placement of Kirschner wires (K-wires) is the most common form of surgical fixation, with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) being the second most common method.

What happens after pins are removed?

After you remove the bandage, wash the pin site with soap and water and pat it dry. Apply a Band-Aid as needed. Your child can shower, bathe or swim in chlorinated water after 1 day. Do not come into contact with lake or river (untreated) water for 5 days.

How are K wires inserted?

A Kirschner wire (also called a K-wire) is a thin metallic wire or pin that can be used to stabilize bone fragments. These wires can be drilled through the bone to hold the fragments in place. They can be placed percutaneously (through the skin) or can be buried beneath the skin.

How are K wires removed from the foot?

The K-wires stick out of the skin so that they can be easily removed once the bone has healed. They are covered with a dressing and a plaster cast and you / the patient will not be able to see them; alternatively they may be exposed out of the toe/finger. The K-wires can usually be removed in the Outpatient Department.

How many fingers are treated with K wire fixation?

Twenty-nine patients (33 fingers) with a bony mallet finger deformity and fracture fragment involving more than one-third of the articular surface were treated surgically.

How to prepare for the removal of the K-wire?

They are covered with a dressing and a plaster cast and you / the patient will not be able to see them; alternatively they may be exposed out of the toe/finger. The K-wires can usually be removed in the Outpatient Department. How to prepare for K-Wire removal?

Is it painful to remove K wires from hand?

Complications can occur , but , I would wait and see how you’re progressing before I became concerned. If you are supposedly healed and approaching removal of the wires , then the actual removal can be painful , especially if they have grown deeper into the bones involved.