Ingrown Nail Surgery
An ingrown toenail is a common problem where the nail grows into the toe. It can be painful, but there are things you can do to ease the pain. You usually get an ingrown toenail on your big toe. But you can get them on any toe. Your toe can also get infected.
Prices from £310
Ingrown Toe Nail Surgery and Treatment Options
An ingrown toenail occurs when the side of the nail digs or cuts into the side of the toe. This can be caused by having a curly shaped nail, a wide nail or as a result of picking or cutting the nail badly.
The symptoms of an ingrown toenail can vary from mild discomfort to having swelling, severe pain and bloody fresh tissue (hypergranulation) trying to heal the area.
Treatment of ingrown toenails can be as simple as trimming away the offending piece of jagged nail. This can be easily achieved with the small instruments we have to find the offending shard of nail! If this is too uncomfortable we are able to provide a local anaesthetic.
In some cases patients have sought the advice of their doctor who has prescribed antibiotics, but if the nail is still ingrowing into the skin, the infection will return.
In certain circumstances and despite conservative treatment involving trimming or packing the nail, some toenails may require minor surgery. This is a procedure called a partial nail avulsion and involves removing the side or sides of nail that penetrate the skin, removal of inflamed and swollen tissue and application of a chemical to the nail bed to prevent its recurrence. This procedure is proven to be about 98% effective and has been used for many years by podiatrists. A local anaesthetic is needed and it takes no more than an hour to complete. Surprisingly for many there is usually little pain after the treatment since having the ingrown nail removed is a welcome relief.
