Nail Surgery
Sometimes problem nails get too sore or difficult to deal with. But there is help!
Sounds drastic
Nail surgery is the last resort, we endeavour to try to treat your nails as conservatively and as less invasive as we can but the pain of trying to manage an ingrown or infected toe nail can sometimes prove to be too uncomfortable. The name itself makes it sound like a daunting procedure but it's not. A local anaesthetic is put into your toe to numb it, then in as little as 10 minutes, the problem nail has been removed. A large dressing is applied to protect the area for the first couple of days then a much smaller 'plaster' like dressing is applied after this. It's quite a gentle procedure really.
Won't it grow back?
It depends on what the underlying problem is. For toe nails with a persistent fungal infection, sometimes we will allow the nail to grow back so that we can treat the new nail as it comes through. But this is rare, usually we will apply a chemical called phenol to the matrix (root) to stop the nail coming back. When a nail has been ingrown or damaged, the problem will in our experience return if allowed to regrow therefore applying the chemical will solve this ahead of time.
Additionally, we now have an extended scope Podiatrist who is able to do specialised surgical techniques where the matrix of the nail is removed without the use of phenol.
Quicker than you'd think to heal too
Usually we expect our patients to be back at work or school within a day or so with less pain than when they first came in. However, the wound itself only takes about 6 to 10 weeks to fully heal. The procedure has a very high success rate leaving an aesthetically pleasing outcome. We have a lot of experience when doing these procedures. We will take you through every step, so that your mind is put at ease and we will only proceed when you are ready. If you are an anxious patient please let us know in advance, we are happy to spend extra time with you but we will always have two podiatrist in with you during the surgical procedure meaning you will always have somebody for support.