Nail Surgery in Glasgow
If you are suffering from painful toenails, don’t worry, we can help. Our highly trained team of podiatrists have undertaken this surgery many times, allowing a lot of people to get back to their regular, pain-free selves.
What is Nail Surgery?
Nail surgery is a minor operation that can be carried out for a number of reasons. It is most often used to provide permanent pain relief and prevent recurring problems with your toenails; the most common problems that nail surgery is used to treat are:
- Ingrown toenails
- Severe fungal nails
- Deformed, misshapen or thickened toenails
Nail surgery involves removing all or part of the toenail. When the entire toenail is removed, it’s known as a total nail avulsion; when only part of the nail is removed, it is called a partial nail avulsion.
Why Could You Need Nail Surgery?
Nail surgery could be recommended to you for a number of reasons; most often, it is suggested for people who suffer from infected, fungal, ingrowing, damaged or distorted toenails for which more conservative treatment methods haven’t worked.
Ingrowing Toenails
An ingrowing toenail happens when the corner or side of your toenail begins to grow outwards into the soft flesh of the toe. It will, in most cases, set off an inflammatory response becoming red and painful to the touch. In the worst cases, it could become infected and cause a lot of pain.
Causes of ingrown toenails vary from person to person; however, some contributing factors could cause you to have an ingrown toenail. Whether that be wearing incorrectly fitting footwear or you are simply unlucky and were born with a genetic predisposition to ingrown toenails due to the natural curvature of your nails, ingrown toenails are terrible for everyone.
In most cases, ingrown toenails will not correct themselves, and at home, treatment is usually difficult and could potentially lead to further problems if treated incorrectly. If you are suffering from an ingrown toenail, you should see a qualified podiatrist as soon as possible for a correct diagnosis and the best advice on which form of treatment will best suit you.
Thickened Toenails
Thickened toenails can occur for a number of reasons. They are most often caused by:
- Trauma or injury to the nail
- Repeated pressure to the toe through playing certain sports like football, running or ballet
- Ill-fitting shoes
- Older age
- Fungal infections
What Happens During Nail Surgery?
On the day of the procedure, you can continue to do everything you usually would, including eating, drinking and taking any regular medication (unless otherwise stated). However, you should give yourself some time to recuperate after the surgery.
To begin the procedure, the toe is anaesthetised using a local anaesthetic. You will feel a small prick from the needle; however, this is the only part of the procedure in which you will actually feel anything, and it is no worse than a typical injection. Once the toe has become entirely numb, we will use an antiseptic solution to clean your toe and the surrounding area to help prevent any chance of infection.
We will then use a scalpel to carefully remove the offending section of the nail in undertaking a partial nail avulsion or the entire nail if necessary. A chemical solution known as phenol will then be applied to stop the nail from regrowing. We will then dress the toe in protective wrapping.
Once the dressing is applied, the operation is complete. The whole procedure typically only takes around one hour for one toe. When fully completed, we will arrange a follow-up appointment with you to assess the toe and re-apply a clean dressing.
Where Are We?
Our Glasgow Podiatry Clinic is nice and easy to find. We have located just a short walk away from The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
If you’re looking for a podiatrist in Glasgow, you can use our easy online booking system to make an appointment or call one of our friendly staff members at 0141 332 0044.
