You’ve tried to calm the severe pain in your toe that has resulted from of an ingrown toenail. However, nothing has given you relief. After it began oozing a bit, it was time to see a podiatrist to have the ingrown nail removed.
Procedure
Having surgery on your ingrown toenail will greatly reduce the pain and pressure you feel. Many people become very anxious when it comes to having an ingrown toenail treated and then comment after the procedure, “wow, that wasn’t bad at all.” This type of surgery is done as an outpatient basis right in the doctor’s office. The amount of the nail your podiatrist will remove depends on the size of the nail that is ingrown. He or she will use medication to stop the nail from growing again. You are able to walk out of the procedure with a surgical shoe or sandal.
Aftercare and Recovery
The good news about ingrown toenail surgery is that the pain generally subsides within 24 hours. Most patients will use either Tylenol or Ibuprofen and in very rare cases are narcotics needed. You will have to perform local wound care daily for a few weeks while the nail is healing.
Your podiatrist will probably remind you of basic infection control such as washing your hands before caring for your toe as bacteria can get into the wound and cause infection. While recovering, you may have to make some changes to your lifestyle as well as to your shoe choices, but this changes are generally very short lived.
In the recovery period, your podiatrist will most likely tell you to limit your walking and elevated your foot as often as possible for the first day or two. This may hinder your exercise routine for a week or two, but it will be worth it in the end when your toe is pain-free. If you work in an environment where you need to be on your feet all day, you may want to take a few days off to recover or have the procedure performed on a Friday and use the weekend to recover. Although it takes patience, you will feel better very soon.
And now let’s talk about your “foot fashion” post recovery. Your podiatrist will probably recommend that you wear an open sandal or a surgical shoes for the first few days after the procedure. No worries, though, as you will be able to go back to your normal shoe choices in no time at all. Most people are back in shoes within 2-3 days.
Cost
The cost of ingrown toenail surgery will depend upon your health insurance. Your health insurance may cover all of the surgery or a portion of the cost. Costs will depend on your plan and insurance carrier. Here at Timonium Foot and Ankle Center, we would be more than happy to check your benefits for you to let you know the entire cost up front.
Looking For Ingrown Toenail Relief?
If you have an ingrown toenail and are looking for relief, give us a call today to schedule an appointment. Dr. Stewart will evaluate your toenail and let you know all of your options for treatment. Dr. Stewart is not an alarmist and will only recommend surgery as an absolute last resort. Some patients do not require surgery to fix their condition.
You can call us at 410-560-2777 or fill out the brief form on the top right of this page.