Service
Corn (clavus)
A corn (clavus) is a thickening of the skin with a hard core that presses inwards and hurts when walking. It is caused by pressure — from shoes or from the bone beneath. When it keeps coming back despite being pared down, it is removed surgically, with its core.
How is it done?
The clavus is cut out completely with its core, and the wound is stitched or left to heal. If the cause is a prominent bone beneath, removing the skin alone does not stop it coming back — this is then discussed at the examination.
When is the procedure not suitable?
A corn is not removed until what creates it is removed — the pressure of tight shoes or a deformity of the toe; otherwise it comes back. With diabetes and poor circulation in the legs, the procedure is planned more carefully, and you should not cut anything yourself at home. If the lesion bleeds, has dark dots and hurts not when pressed from above but from the side, it may be a wart, not a corn — the difference is assessed at the examination.
General reasons for postponing a procedure (pregnancy, breastfeeding, inflammation, a clotting disorder, smoking): When is a procedure postponed?
Anaesthesia
Before a procedure under general or regional anaesthesia, you are seen by the anaesthetist, who works full time at the clinic; the same doctor is also present during the procedure. The anaesthetic assessment and the anaesthesia for larger operations are included in the price of the procedure. What happens before, during and after anaesthesia is described on the Anaesthesia page.
Risks
Expected — pain when walking in the first days, a small wound that heals in a week or two.
Occasional — a scar that is sensitive to pressure, return of the clavus if the pressure remains.
Expected, and rare but serious → Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?
Specialist and team
Specialty: general surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
What happens at the examination?
The first examination lasts 30 to 45 minutes on average. The surgeon examines the area you are concerned about, asks about illnesses, medicines, allergies and previous operations, and talks with you about what you expect. If the procedure is appropriate and likely to help, you receive a plan: which procedure is proposed, under which anaesthesia, what recovery looks like and what is included in the price. If the procedure is not needed or would not give you what you expect, you will hear that at the examination too.
What if the result is not as agreed?
The result of a procedure is assessed at a follow-up visit, once the swelling has gone down and the scar has matured, not in the first weeks. If it differs from what was agreed at the examination, the same surgeon carries out the correction.
→ Poliklinika Barbel's correction policy
Frequently asked questions
When can I walk? Straight away, in comfortable shoes; the pain eases within a few days. After the bone has been levelled, the foot is rested for two to three weeks.
Corn or wart? A corn is a thickening of the skin caused by pressure, with a hard core in the middle; it hurts when pressed from above and has no dark dots. A wart is viral, has tiny black dots, bleeds when scraped and hurts when squeezed from the side. They are treated differently.
Why does it come back? Because a corn is a consequence, not a cause: the skin thickens where a bone presses against the shoe. As long as the pressure remains — a tight shoe, a hammer toe, a prominent bone — it comes back even after removal.
How is it removed? The thickening with its core is cut out, and when it is created by a prominent bone, the bone is levelled in the same procedure.
Can I cut it myself or use acid plasters? Not with diabetes and poor circulation — a wound on the foot then heals with difficulty. On healthy feet, plasters reduce the thickening but do not remove the cause.
How much does the result depend on care after the procedure? The larger the procedure, the more it depends on it, but it always does. Healing takes weeks and months and happens almost entirely at home, so the instructions you receive when you go home, about the wound, physical activity and the scar, are part of the procedure, not a recommendation.
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.