Nail surgery

We are experts in nail surgery at Zest Podiatry & Physio. We can remove part or all of the nail, in a temporary or permanent way, to offer long term comfort and relief. The medical term for nail surgery is Nail avulsion with/without phenolisation.

Removal of nail is used for both ingrown toe nails and trauma/damaged nails. More information about other sore toe nails.

What is nail avulsion?

Avulsion is the term used for nail surgery removal. It is a well established small surgical procedure where we remove all or part of the nail.

Will it grow back?

If we have a nail that has become deformed and is growing inwards we may decide that we do not want the nail to grow back, in those cases we will use a chemical called phenol that will destroy the nail bed (nail matrix). Phenol is known to work 96% of times.

For some nails such as injuries or running trauma we do want the nail to grow back, these may however grow back thickened or slightly deformed due to the trauma they have experienced.

Treatment

Toe nail surgery is not required in all cases, the type of surgery suitable for your condition will be discussed and agreed after an initial consultation with the podiatrist.

The toe is numbed using a local anaesthetic and the procedure takes approximately 30 minutes. You are sent home with a big toe dressing on which is to stay dry and undisturbed for next 24-48 hours.

We see you back in clinic after 24-48 hours to remove the dressing, check the wound and redress using a small dressing. You are given enough dressing supplies for 2 weeks and we will review you at 24/48 hours and 4 weeks.

Recovery

During the period of recovery for an ingrown toe nail surgery with phenol – 6 weeks approximately for partial and 12 weeks for total nail, we ask to refrain from using swimming pools and showers to minimise the risk of wound infection. N.b. There is a 4% risk of the nail regrowing where phenol has been used.

Removal without phenol (trauma/damaged nail) should result in quicker healing, approximately 3-4 weeks for recovery.

How to book

You can book an initial surgery assessment with us directly below.