Ingrown Nails occur when the nail grows inwards instead of outwards. It can be caused by tight footwear, as a result of fast or slow nail growth or due to improper trimming of the nails. While they are generally harmless, ingrown nails can sometimes become painful or infected, requiring medical intervention.
Got an ingrown nail that’s giving you trouble? Book an appointment with us. Call Tuross Head Medical Centre on 02 4413 2666
When an Ingrown toenail becomes infected, it could develop an abscess. If this occurs, your doctor will have to perform an Abscess drainage to get rid of the pus and abscess. Local anaesthesia will be administered to prevent pain and then an incision will be made to drain the contents of the abscess. If there’s leakage post drainage, your doctor may leave the gauze in to allow the drainage to continue for a day or two.
More severe cases of ingrown toenails will require surgery, which may be in the form of a wedge excision or nail ablation. A Wedge excision is done in cases when only the outer area of the toe is ingrown. This type of surgery involves removing the part of the nail that is ingrown and, in some cases, surgical excision of the nail bed may be needed. The whole procedure will take approximately 30 minutes, and once it is finished, it is recommended that you rest and raise your leg to aid in healing and reducing the swelling.
If you have an ingrown nail that’s been causing you pain, book an appointment with one of our doctors. We will examine the site and determine the best course of action, discuss it with you and finalise a plan of action to get rid of the ingrown nail with the least amount of discomfort to you. Our goal is to provide you with a quick, complete, long-term solution so you don’t have to be dealing with the same issue over and over again. To book an appointment, call us on 0244765588
Tuross Head Medical Center