Nail surgery is a minor procedure that is carried out under local anaesthetic. It is a very quick procedure to remove part of, or the whole of the toenail and generally you will be on your way home in less than one hour.
An ingrown toenail occurs when the edge of your toenail grows down and cuts into the surrounding skin. Ingrown toenails are very common and can usually be treated removing the offending spike of nail. Nail surgery is usually offered to patients who are prone to ingrown toenails.
Before any procedure takes place, you will normally be asked to sign a nail surgery consent form. This confirms that you have been informed about risks, benefits and possible alternatives to the nail surgery and you have given your permission for the treatment to go ahead. The Podiatrist should talk you through the procedure and answer any questions that you may have. It is understandable that Nail Surgery can be very daunting and if you do have any reservations please share them with your Podiatrist.
A local anaesthetic will be administered to the area which will leave the toe numb for a few hours. The technique used to remove the nail depends on how ingrown the nail is, whether one or both sides are affected and whether or not there is an infection. Sometimes your Podiatrist will remove the whole nail; however, in many cases only a small section of the nail needs to be removed. The folds of skin alongside the nail may also need to be removed. To stop the nail re-growing a chemical is used to prevent the nail from reforming and thus preventing further episodes of an ingrown nail. Partial nail surgery leaves the nail intact but it will be slightly narrower than it was before. A dressing will then be applied to your toe. It may be a little bulky at first but will be changed to a smaller dressing a couple of days after the surgery.
You should not drive following the surgery and we advise that you arrange a lift to and from the clinic if possible. Due to the large dressing on your toe you may not be able to wear your normal shoes. It is advisable to take a pair of open toe shoes to your appointment so that you are comfortable on your journey home. After the procedure your toe may feel a little sore but this should ease after a couple of days. Generally you will be advised to rest for the first night and take painkillers if necessary. For your toe to heal completely, it can take between 4 and 6 weeks, but normal activities can resume very soon after the procedure. It is recommended that you keep relatively active. It is advisable to keep the dressings clean and dry between appointments.
Your Podiatrist will ask to see you a couple of days after the appointment to change the dressing and check that the toe is healing well. You will then be asked to return on a weekly basis to have the dressing changed and so that the Podiatrist can check the healing process.
If you notice that the toe is bleeding excessively or there is an odour or discharge from the toe make an appointment to see your Podiatrist immediately. Occasionally patients develop an infection in the wound. This can be due to the dressing getting wet. A course of anti-biotics may be administered to clear up the infection.
If you think you may need nail surgery due to persistent ingrown toenails, make an appointment with your Podiatrist who will be able to answer any questions that you may have.