Nail Surgery

Nail Surgery – Removal Of Ingrown Toenails

Toenail surgery is carried out for two main reasons – pain relief from ingrown toenails and severe fungal nail that is beyond treatment. However, other methods of treatment will be investigated with each patient prior to the decision of nail surgery being made. We provide nail surgery from our clinic in Nottingham with an experienced Podiatrist and comprehensive aftercare.

What Causes An Ingrown Toe Nail?

Ingrown toenails often occur when the nail edge cuts into the skin. As the nail continues growing, infection can then set in so making an extremely painful ingrown toe nail. Some people are more prone to them than others.

What Is Involved In Toenail Surgery?

Nail surgery is the removal of all of the toenail or part of the nail. A local anesthetic is administered at the base of the affected toe or toes to numb them so that you will not feel any pain during the procedure. After the removal of the entire nail or a portion of the nail, a chemical may be applied to the exposed nail bed and matrix (where the nail grows from) to prevent regrowth by destroying the nail cells. The aim of nail surgery is to provide a long term cure for ingrowing toenails and does so in 97% of cases.

Overview Of Nail Surgery And The Benefits Post Surgery
Surgical Treatment of Ingrown toenails:

• Where conservative treatment has been unsuccessful
• Performed under a Local Anaesthetic
• Permanent resolution of an ingrown toenail
• To reduce pain
• Removal of troublesome nail
• Minimise risk of infection
• Return to usual activities

Considerations and Preparations Prior to Surgery:

• Planning when you have surgery is essential.  If you do a job that involves standing on your feet for many hours, we would advise that you book a week of rest following the surgery.

• Please remember that although this is a simple procedure, you will have undergone minor surgery and after the procedure, you should rest as much as possible and keep your foot elevated for the first 2-3 days.

• You will have to avoid taking part in sports activities for up to 3 weeks following surgery.

• Please bring open-toed sandals to wear after surgery to accommodate the bulky dressing. You will not be able to wear formal shoes for several days.

• It is essential that you do not drive yourself home after surgery as your car insurance will not be valid after having a local anaesthetic administered to the foot/feet. Therefore, you will need to be collected about an hour after your appointment time or we can arrange a taxi for you.

• Complete recovery time for nail surgery is 6 – 8 weeks for a partial nail removal and up to 10 weeks for a full nail removal.  Please inform the practice before the appointment if you are considering taking a holiday within the healing time.

After nail surgery you will be offered a redressing appointment so that we can monitor the healing of your toe. In this appointment your Podiatrist will give you specific advice depending on what stage of healing your toe is at. The healing time of toenail surgery varies depending on the amount of toenail removed and you own healing capacity, we would expect your toe to  be healed within 6-8 weeks.