Ingrown Toenail Problems
Apologies for the surgical pictures
Ingrown toenails are one of the most common complaints that present to Podiatrists. They can be quite painful and at their worst can become infected. When conservative care fails, Podiatrists perform a very successful procedure called a ‘partial nail avulsion with phenolisation’. This is the procedure I advocate in most situations. There will be occasions when this procedure is inadequate or fails to permanently solve the problem. In these cases, a wedge resection can be performed (pictures below).
1.The inflammed tissue is cut away.
2.The cells that form the nail removed so the ingrown portion does not return.
3. Finally the skin is sutured back to the nail.
This is usually performed under local anaesthetic, though at times patients do request being under general anaesthetic.
