Does Ingrown Toenail Surgery Hurt? Everything You Need to Know

What causes ingrown toenails?

Ingrown toenails happen when the top or the side of your nail grows into flesh adjacent to it. Most often, it occurs on the big toe.

The most common causes of ingrown toenails are:

• wearing shoes that aren't snug enough around your toes
• cutting your toenails to short or too steep of an angle
• toe or toenail injury
• the toenail naturally develops into an arc

A lot of ongrown nail issues can be treated through home treatment. However, if you are suffering from issues, like an infection of the skin or many ingrown toenails surgical intervention may be beneficial. Patients who suffer from diabetics or other ailments which affect the foot could become more vulnerable to require surgery.

What is an ingrown nail surgery?

Your doctor might recommend an ingrown toenails if

• At-home remedies don't resolve your ingrown toenail
• If you've had recurring problems with your toenails,
• You have another medical disease, such as diabetes, which makes it more likely for complications

The toenail on your part or your entire toenail could require removal, dependent on the circumstances.

In order to prepare you for surgery, the doctor will first cleanse and numb your toe using an injection of anesthetic. It can be very uncomfortable. An elastic band that is snug can be slapped on the area in the vicinity of where your toe joins your foot. You can also place a wedge underneath your nail to support the area of the nail that has grown.

Once you've had your preparation and examined by a doctor, they'll employ cutting tools and scissors to remove your toenail from the bed, and make an arc starting from the ingrown part towards the cuticle. Then, they'll remove the cut area. If required, the whole nail can be removed, especially if both sides of your nail have grown.

The doctor may use an electrical device heated to temperature, known as cautery, or an acidic liquid like trichloroacetic acid or phenol to break up the nail matrix, from which your nail develops. This prevents your nail from bleeding. It also means that the section of your nail is likely to not regenerate. If it does your nail will appear differently than it did prior to surgery.

In the final phase your doctor will generally apply a bandage made of petroleum jelly on your toe.

Does it cause pain?

Toenails that are ingrown are painful particularly when you apply pressure and around your nail.

There are some who say that an injection of anesthetic prior to surgery may be uncomfortable. However, once the injection has taken effects and the sensation of being numb settles in, you will be at ease during the procedure.

It is possible to experience pain following surgery after the numbing medication is gone. It is normal and is treated by using over-the-counter pain relief medications. If none of these work, consult your physician.

Aftercare for ingrown toenails after surgery

The first day or two following surgery, you must put your foot down and restrict your activities. Make sure it is elevated when sitting.

Your doctor will advise you on instructions on how to treat your wound and follow-up care. Follow these carefully. This can help to prevent infections. If needed, use painkillers that are available over the counter to relieve discomfort.

You may also be given oral antibiotics in the event that your toenail had already been infected. Follow the instructions of your doctor on the best way to use these.

Wear loose-fitting or open-toed shoes for about two weeks following surgery. This will allow your toe for healing. In the next 24 hours your toe should be cleaned by pouring warm soapy water over it , and then applying a towel to dry it. Cover it until completely healed using a non-stick dressing.

You'll be able to go back to your normal routine after several days, but you should avoid running or any strenuous activity for two weeks.

Prognosis for ingrown toenail surgery

Ingrown toenail surgery is usually reliable and safe. If you've had an incomplete removal of your toenail the nail could develop again in about 3 to 4 months. If your toenail was completely removed, regrowth could last up to one year. The nail that is regrown will be a bit thinner than before. It's also likely that it won't come back, and your toenail bed will heal without it.

But, there are also potential problems, such as infections that can occur following any type of surgery. The doctor will offer instructions for wound care in order to keep infections at bay.

Although not uncommon, it is possible that a doctor could harm the more underlying parts that lie beneath the nail during the procedure. This can cause the nail bed to leak and cause poor healing.

After Toenail surgery in Perth, your toenail may be regrown. It is often due to the new nail could develop in a an angled. Ingrown toenails can be recurred if you keep wearing shoes that aren't fitting properly or if your nail naturally develops in a curving direction.

Signs of ingrown toenails

The most common signs of ingrown toenails are:

• pain around your toenail edges
• accumulation of fluid, and thickening the skin surrounding your toenail
• Redness and swelling around your toenail
• infection that drains blood around the nail

Alternative solutions for toenails that are growing

Treatment for ingrown toenails may not be always needed. Before seeing your doctor, test these home remedies:

• Warm your feet with water at least once a day over 15 or 20 mins each time. This will reduce swelling and pain.
• Place an unbleached cotton ball or floss underneath the ingrown edge of your nail. This can help the nail to grow correctly. Use floss or cotton out if it is making your discomfort worse or if you notice any indications of infection like pus.
• Make sure to clip off the edge that is ingrown of the toenail , if you can.
• Ingrown toenails can be treated using an ointment that you can buy over the counter like petroleum jelly, or an elastic bandage. This will keep your toenail healthy and secure as it grows.
• Wear comfortable, open-toed footwear or socks and shoes that provide your toe with plenty of space. This allows your toenails space to heal.
• Use over-the-counter pain relief when needed.
  
  Stop all home remedies and visit your doctor if you don't notice any changes after five days or if you suffer from:
  
  

• increasing pain
  
• The fever
• blood loss or bleeding from the area

Takeaway

Surgery can be a solution when you suffer from chronically ingrown toenails, or are suffering due to an ingrown toenail. But at-home solutions are typically enough to resolve an ingrown nail.

If you require surgery, it could be done at an office of a physician using local anesthesia. It's possible that you'll need to consult an orthopedic foot doctor or Perth podiatrist. The complications of surgery for ingrown toenails are extremely rare. After a few days of rest and rest, you'll be able resume normal activities.