Ingrown Toenail Surgery

A Partial Nail Avulsion, or nail surgery, is a minor surgical procedure to remove part of a nail plate that is ingrown. This procedure is done regularly by podiatrists and is used predominantly for chronic or recurrent ingrown toenails that have not responded to conservative treatment. A local anaesthetic is given by means of two injections to the affected toe. The anaesthetic lasts a couple of hours and will totally block all pain sensation during the operation.

Once numb, an elastic strip is applied around the toe from tip to base and acts as a tourniquet. No cutting or stitching is involved. The appropriate part of the nail is simply lifted and removed from that part of the nail bed. The nail matrix, which is the part that produces the nail plate, is then treated with a chemical called Phenol to prevent further unwanted re-growth of the nail. The tourniquet is then removed.

A sterile dressing is applied to the toe and you can then leave the clinic. The whole procedure takes about an hour. The toe is reviewed 2 days after surgery for re-dressing and takes approximately 2-4 weeks to heal depending on the patients healing ability. On rare occasions, we may decide not to operate when you come in for your appointment e.g. for medical reasons.

The team at Performance Podiatry Bateau Bay are very experienced in Partial nail Avulsion Procedures. This method of nail surgery is known to be very safe and effective. The majority private health funds that cover podiatry give substantial rebates on nail procedures.