Ingrown toenails can cause severe pain around the fingertips, with the greatest intensity in the area of the dermal fold, which is under pressure and where the abnormal plate is stuck. In such situations, surgical treatment consists of ingrown toenail surgery. Their fragment is removed together with the lateral part of the matrix from the side giving troublesome symptoms. Sometimes, an ingrown toenail treatment is also performed, which involves removing the entire nail plate. The decision on the choice of the best technique is made by the doctor together with the patient after consultation.
Removal of ingrown nails
The benefits of ingrown nail surgery are primarily getting rid of the source of pain in the place where the abnormally growing nail plate gave ailments. The mobility of the foot or toe improves, especially if the pain before the ingrown toenail surgery significantly limited it and forced the patient to save a given part of the body. In addition, a nail digging into the skin shaft can lead to the formation of small wounds and damage the continuity of tissues. Sometimes this can be conducive to superinfection, especially if the problem is in the toes and the hygienic condition leaves much to be desired. In such a situation, ingrown toenail surgery prevents traumatization of tissues and, consequently, the development of complications in the form of, for example, fungal superinfection (or other infectious agent) of the phalanges.
Contraindications to perform the procedure
Ingrown nail surgery should not be performed in those patients who do not complain of any symptoms resulting from the abnormal direction of growth of the nail plates towards the skin fold. Surgery for ingrown toenails should also be considered if the person suffers from a disease that restricts blood flow to the tissues, suffers from impaired skin healing, and is at risk for serious complications from ingrown toenail surgery and difficulty in sealing the surgical site. This is especially the case when the symptoms accompanying ingrown nails are not burdensome for the patient and he does not require intensive treatment. Performing the procedure should also be considered in seriously ill people in poor general condition. Also, local pathologies in a given location may be a contraindication to performing ingrown nail surgery or require its postponement until the underlying disease is cured
Before the procedure
Before the operation of ingrown toenails, the patient should take care of proper hygiene of the place undergoing the procedure. The skin should be clean and dry. If ingrown toenail surgery will be performed on the toes, clean socks should be worn. It is also important to prepare and take with you loose footwear before the procedure that will allow you to slip and fit the foot in it along with the dressing after the ingrown toenail operation is completed. In this case, shoes should be selected in such a way as not to cause pressure on the tissues, especially in the toe area, and not to cause additional traumatization of the place after the removed nails.
Time and course of convalescence
The time needed for pain relief after ingrown toenail surgery is about 3 days to a week. It usually takes much longer for the nail plate to grow back. Here, the time depends on whether the ingrown toenail operation was performed on the fingers or toes. On the hands, the part of the nail needed to cover and protect the phalanx should grow back within a month or two of the procedure. It takes much longer for full recovery after ingrown toenail surgery, especially if the problem concerned the big toe. Here, sometimes the convalescence can take up to twelve months, which is influenced by the slower growth of the nails in length. Proper care and protection of the phalanges after ingrown nail surgery helps to shorten the treatment time, reduce the risk of complications and contribute to reducing the risk of recurrence, as well as to achieve better final results in terms of cosmetics and patient satisfaction.
Recommendations after the procedure
After ingrown nail surgery, the area where the procedure was performed should be properly cared for.
The wound should be kept dry and hygienic. It is recommended to limit hand work and avoid injury to the area. If ingrown toenail surgery was performed on the toes (usually the big toe is a problem), not only should injuries be prevented, but also excessive pressure exerted on the toes by, for example, wearing too tight shoes. This is important to obtain a nice cosmetic effect, and to avoid deformation of the plate weakened after the operation of ingrown nails.
The phalange of the finger from which the nail was removed or the wedge-shaped excision of the lateral edge of the matrix was performed is often painful throughout the regeneration period, until a new plate grows out and the wound heals. The patient should not perform any activities that additionally cause pain. It is also important to take care of the cleanliness of the injured place after the surgical procedure to prevent infection and related further complications. Proper wound care after ingrown nail surgery is important to maintain the durability of the treatment effects and to prevent future ingrowth of the nail plate.
It may be necessary for the patient to change the way the nails are trimmed. The tile should not be cut too deep. If a person with a tendency to ingrown nails into the skin of the phalanges cannot do it on their own, it may be necessary to use the services of a professional beautician. It may also be helpful to completely resign from cutting nails with clippers or scissors and replace this activity by shortening the skin formation with a file, with which patients less often make mistakes by cutting the nail too deep.
Whitlow
Symptoms of paronychia
Symptoms of both acute and chronic paronychia are:
How should you treat paronychia?
With acute paronychia, surgical debridement of the abscess is necessary. If it was large, the surgeon puts a drain so that the wound can be thoroughly cleaned. It is also necessary to take an antibiotic. When the troublemaker is a virus, there is no need to incise the abscess. However, prompt administration of antiviral drugs is necessary.
Chronic paronychia requires taking antibiotics and antifungal drugs. The treatment is burdensome for the patient and usually lasts many weeks, sometimes even several months.
If there is redness and swelling, you can try a warm bath prepared on the basis of water and gray soap. This method not only relieves inflammation, but also brings relief to the patient, because water combined with gray soap has an anti-swelling effect and causes pus to be removed by itself.
Complications
In any case, paronychia should be treated to prevent complications. Ignoring this ailment may cause the disease to spread to the tissues under the nail plate. Then the nail plate will be completely destroyed and abscesses will form. The consequence of this is the formation of thickening on the plate and its numerous discolorations.