It is a high priority for patients with ingrown toenails to get treatment as soon as possible. This condition can be painful, and worsens with time. When left untreated, ingrown toenails can become more severe and infected. If you have an ingrown toenail, you may be wondering what the best treatment option for you is. While the only safe option is to have a doctor licensed to work on feet examine your toenails, you may want to know more about the different types of ingrown toenail surgery before your consultation.
Most of the time, ingrown toenail surgery is performed under local anesthesia. This is beneficial since the surgery is usually simple, quick, and low-risk. If you prefer general anesthesia, some doctors will give light general anesthesia for the treatment. This is less common because general anesthesia comes with more risk.
There are a couple different methods for the actual ingrown toenail surgery. A wedge resection, or partial nail avulsion procedure removes the part of the nail that is growing into the skin. This is the most common practice for removing an ingrown toenail, and is usually done when the condition isn’t severe. A complete nail avulsion removes the entire nail from the nail bed. This is a less common procedure because of the risk of nail deformity on regrowth, and the long period of time before a nail is fully regrown. A doctor may also perform surgery on the tip of the toe to shape it around the natural shape of the nail. Finally, a matrixectomy can be performed when all of the other procedures aren’t effective. This treatment involves the complete removal of the nail, and the removal of the nail bed itself. This is usually a last resort procedure. To schedule a consultation with a licensed podiatrist to discuss ingrown toenail surgery, give us a call at (424)-299-4627.