Ingrown Toenail Surgery: What to Expect
Ingrown toenails can be painful and debilitating. You may find it difficult to put on shoes, stand, and walk. Fortunately, your podiatrist can help you get relief from an ingrown toenail. You may need ingrown toenail surgery. The podiatrists at Podiatry Associates Dr. Robert Russell, Dr. James Bowman, Dr. Edward Stanulevich, and Dr. Rupa Jayagopal provide a wide range of foot and ankle services, including surgery for ingrown toenails. They have two convenient office locations in Birmingham, and Sylacauga, AL.
What You Need To Know About Ingrown Toenails and Ingrown Toenail Surgery
An ingrown toenail occurs because your toenail is growing down into the surrounding skin. The toenail can look dark, and appear swollen, and you may notice fluid or pus coming out under your toenail. You may feel pain from your ingrown toenail.
One of the main causes of an ingrown toenail is cutting your toenails too short, or rounding the ends of your toenails. To prevent ingrown toenails:
- Don’t cut your toenails too short
- Cut your toenails straight across with no rounded corners
- Wear wide shoes with enough room for your toes
- Wear protective shoes to avoid toe and toenail injury
If you think you might have an ingrown toenail, you should visit your podiatrist. Depending on the severity of your ingrown toenail, your podiatrist may recommend ingrown toenail surgery to remove the ingrown part of your toenail, or the entire toenail, so a new healthy toenail can grow.
Toenail surgery is typically performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. The procedure usually takes about 10 minutes. After surgery, you should try to keep your toe elevated to reduce swelling. Avoid strenuous exercise for about 2 weeks after surgery. Your podiatrist will let you know when you can resume normal activities.
Want To Know More?
To find out more about what to expect from ingrown toenail surgery, call the podiatrists at Podiatry Associates Dr. Russell, Dr. Bowman, Dr. Stanulevich, or Dr. Jayagopal. You can reach them in the Birmingham, AL, office by calling (205) 933-9595, or in Sylacauga, AL, by calling (256) 249-2212, so call today.