Nail and Soft Tissue Surgery

ingrown toe nails

Our practice is mainly limited to soft tissue surgical procedures of the forefoot including but not limited to ingrown toenail management and permanent correction, claw or hammer toe straightening all soft tissue corrections.

 

Treatment of Ingrown Toe Nails

Partial nail avulsion

Partial nail avulsion, where part of your toenail is removed, is the most common surgical procedure for treating ingrown toenails. It is about 98% effective.

 

The procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic, (similar to a dental freezing) which is injected into the base of your toe. The edges of your toenail are cut away to make the toenail narrower and give your nail a straight edge. This makes it less likely to dig into the surrounding skin.

 

After the edges of your toenail have been cut, a chemical called phenol will be applied to the affected area. This prevents the nail growing back and stops an ingrown toenail developing in the future.

 

During the procedure, any pus will be drained away from your toe to prevent the area becoming more infected. If your nail is infected, a course of antibiotics may be prescribed.

 

Total nail avulsion

Total nail avulsion involves removing the whole of your toenail to reduce the risk of an ingrown toenail developing in the future.

The procedure may be recommended if your nail is thickening and pressing into the skin surrounding your toe. As with partial nail avulsion, total nail avulsion is carried out using local anaesthetic.

 

During the procedure, your toenail will be removed and you will be left with the indentation (the concave area of skin) where your toenail used to be. It is perfectly safe for you not to have a toenail and your toe will continue to function normally.

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