Ingrown Toenail Surgery
There are many causes of ingrown toenails many of which can be treated gently without surgery via simple ingrown toe nail treatments. However, when conservative methods of treating the nail fail, surgery may be required. When required, our Chiropodist can perform a simple and permanent procedure that removes a small wedge of the nail and prevents it from growing back.
Our Chiropodist's prefer to do a simple nail edge avulsion and matrix sterylisation with phenol. This is an in office procedure which is usually carried out in less than 30 minutes and is performed under a local anesthetic. After the ingrown nail is removed, the growth plate (matrix) is destroyed using phenol, a chemical designed to stop the nail growing back. This procedure does not involve any cutting of skin or stitches, and recovery time is very short. In most cases it is a fairly pain free experience with people able to resume normal activity within a few days.
Prevention
In the case of ingrown toe nails, prevention is better than cure. Here are a few tips at preventing ingrown toenails.
- Wearing the right shoes. Shoes that don't rub on the side of your toe or squish them too close together are important to prevent pinching of the skin at the side of the nail. This doesn't mean you have to wear unattractive shoes, it just means that you should choose shoes that won't put any unnecessary forces on your toes.
- Buffing down the thickness on thickened toenails. This will reduce pressure on the surrounding skin as well as prevent all sorts of nail nasty's that can occur in thickened nails.
- Proper nail cutting techniques- cutting straight across and not digging down the sides. Make sure edges are gently rounded off so that no spikes exist down the sides.
Surgery Procedure:
a) local anesthetic (numb the toe)
b) nail edge gently lifted and cutting of nail
c) removal of ingrown nail edge
d) application of phenol chemical to stop nail growing back again
e) dress the toe with sterile bandages
Our Chiropodist's prefer to do a simple nail edge avulsion and matrix sterylisation with phenol. This is an in office procedure which is usually carried out in less than 30 minutes and is performed under a local anesthetic. After the ingrown nail is removed, the growth plate (matrix) is destroyed using phenol, a chemical designed to stop the nail growing back. This procedure does not involve any cutting of skin or stitches, and recovery time is very short. In most cases it is a fairly pain free experience with people able to resume normal activity within a few days.
Prevention
In the case of ingrown toe nails, prevention is better than cure. Here are a few tips at preventing ingrown toenails.
- Wearing the right shoes. Shoes that don't rub on the side of your toe or squish them too close together are important to prevent pinching of the skin at the side of the nail. This doesn't mean you have to wear unattractive shoes, it just means that you should choose shoes that won't put any unnecessary forces on your toes.
- Buffing down the thickness on thickened toenails. This will reduce pressure on the surrounding skin as well as prevent all sorts of nail nasty's that can occur in thickened nails.
- Proper nail cutting techniques- cutting straight across and not digging down the sides. Make sure edges are gently rounded off so that no spikes exist down the sides.
Surgery Procedure:
a) local anesthetic (numb the toe)
b) nail edge gently lifted and cutting of nail
c) removal of ingrown nail edge
d) application of phenol chemical to stop nail growing back again
e) dress the toe with sterile bandages
Common Questions from Patients:
Q: Are ingrown toenails common?
A: Yes. They show up in clinic most commonly in fall, winter, and spring seasons when people wear shoes all the time. Often, people who get ingrown toenails all the time wear sandals in the summer to prevent them from becoming painful. They can be caused by trauma (stubbing your toe/tight shoes), previous infections, or genetic reasons.
Q: Do many people have ingrown toenail surgeries?
A: They do. Ingrown toenails are a common problem that is often best treated with a surgery. It is a pain free surgery appointment that takes ~30 to 45 minutes. It is done in clinic and you are able to walk out right after the procedure. In our clinic we do on average 1 to 2 procedures a day.
Q: If there is an infection in the toe, can you prescribe antibiotics?
A: Yes
Q: What should I wear on my feet after the surgery?
A: Open toe shoes or sandals are recommended to wear after the procedure. Ideally loose fitting.
Q: Does the procedure hurt at all?
A: There is no feeling in the toe after we freeze it with numbing medication. The freezing lasts usually 1.5 hours. The injection can be sensitive, similar to the flu shot or blood work, but at the base of your toe by the knuckle.
Q: Do I need a referral from my family doctor to go to your clinic for the assessment and procedure?
A: We do not need a referral. We do receive many referrals from physicians and hospital ER rooms, however they are not needed.
A: Yes. They show up in clinic most commonly in fall, winter, and spring seasons when people wear shoes all the time. Often, people who get ingrown toenails all the time wear sandals in the summer to prevent them from becoming painful. They can be caused by trauma (stubbing your toe/tight shoes), previous infections, or genetic reasons.
Q: Do many people have ingrown toenail surgeries?
A: They do. Ingrown toenails are a common problem that is often best treated with a surgery. It is a pain free surgery appointment that takes ~30 to 45 minutes. It is done in clinic and you are able to walk out right after the procedure. In our clinic we do on average 1 to 2 procedures a day.
Q: If there is an infection in the toe, can you prescribe antibiotics?
A: Yes
Q: What should I wear on my feet after the surgery?
A: Open toe shoes or sandals are recommended to wear after the procedure. Ideally loose fitting.
Q: Does the procedure hurt at all?
A: There is no feeling in the toe after we freeze it with numbing medication. The freezing lasts usually 1.5 hours. The injection can be sensitive, similar to the flu shot or blood work, but at the base of your toe by the knuckle.
Q: Do I need a referral from my family doctor to go to your clinic for the assessment and procedure?
A: We do not need a referral. We do receive many referrals from physicians and hospital ER rooms, however they are not needed.
Below are some very common presentations of ingrown toenails
we see at Barrhaven Foot Care:
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We are not an emergency room. However, if your condition is urgent, please call the clinic and leave us a message.
Call: 613-440-3839