Ingrown toenails can be painful to live with, especially if they’ve been left to grow for too long. However, non-surgical options can take longer to show progress.
This is why surgery is often a preferred treatment option for ingrown toenails, but the idea can sometimes be daunting. What can you expect if you need surgery to correct your ingrown toenail? What are the risks and how painful will it be? In this article, we’ll walk you through the entire process so you’ll know what to expect.
For personalised advice, contact our team at the Foot Health Clinic today.
Ingrown Toenails
An ingrown toenail occurs when the nail’s edge grows into the skin, causing pain that worsens over time. Along with pain, you will likely also experience swelling and inflammation around the area.
Ingrown toenails can lead to painful infections, causing blistering and pus around the affected area.
Causes of Ingrown Toenails
Ingrown toenails can be caused in a variety of ways. For instance, shoes that are too tight can push the nail into the skin. Likewise, cutting your toenail too short or injuring your nail can affect the direction your nail grows.
The best way to prevent ingrown toenails from developing is to wear correctly fitting shoes and observe proper nail care techniques. This means trimming your nails to keep them relatively straight and monitoring their length. They should sit around the edge of your toes.
Treatment Options
There are several different treatment options available to consider when it comes to ingrown toenails. A trained podiatrist can assist with bracing, lifting or even taping the nail to help correct its growth. However, each of these treatments can be time-consuming.
Likewise, antibiotics can be used to help combat swelling and infection. However, they will not treat the underlying cause of your condition. To learn more about the effect of antibiotics on ingrown toenails, read our article on the topic, here.
Surgery: What to Expect
Toenail surgery is a minimally invasive process where your podiatrist removes the offending nail edge and cauterizes the nail matrix of the ingrowing part of the nail. This is to stop the nail from injuring your skin, removing the cause of your pain. The result is you will have a slightly narrower but flatter toenail.
The procedure itself is painless, thanks to the anaesthetic that numbs your toe. Some soreness or throbbing may occur during recovery but typically subsides within a few days of rest. Any pain can be managed with over-the-counter medications, making surgery a convenient solution that promptly addresses the underlying issue.
The Process
Most toenail removal surgeries are relatively short procedures, typically completed within 30 minutes to an hour. Upon commencement of the surgery, the toe will be thoroughly cleaned, and local anaesthetic will be administered to the area.
After numbing your toe, the podiatrist will prepare the area and carefully remove the nail edge and cauterize the nail matrix to stop the offending edge regrowing.
After the procedure, your nail bed will be treated to prevent infection and a sterile bandage applied for your journey home. Follow the additional care instructions provided by your practitioner to aid recovery.
Nail Regrowth
The ingrowing portion of the nail will no longer grow back and in most circumstances the problem will be solved forever.
Keep Your Feet Healthy With The Foot Health Clinic
Has your ingrown toenail been causing you pain? Have other treatments failed to deal with the root cause of your concern? At the Foot Health Clinic, we can help you get the targeted treatment you need. From partial to complete toenail removal, we can help get your feet on the road to recovery.
Contact our team today to book an appointment. With an assessment from our trained podiatrists, we can find the treatment that suits your needs and causes minimal discomfort.
