University Teaching Trust

Nail Surgery

Podiatry Service
0161 206 3842
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Your Podiatrist has decided
that the best course of
treatment for the problem
with your nail is to have
minor surgery.
The procedure involves an
injection of local anaesthetic to
each side of the base of your
toe. This will numb your toe,
leaving you pain free during
the procedure.
You may eat and drink as
normal and take your usual
medication on the day of
your surgery, unless instructed
otherwise by your podiatrist.
If you suffer from asthma
or angina please bring your
medication / tablets with you.
The procedure will take about
one hour. You will need to
bring an open toed shoe or
loose slipper to wear following
the procedure to accommodate
the dressing.
You will be given a follow up
appointment and receive advice
on how to dress the wound at
home. Healing times vary from
6-12 weeks.
1 © G16022203W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust,
There are 2 types of nail surgery:
Partial nail avulsion
A narrow strip of nail will be
removed from one or both sides
of the affected toenail.
The exposed part of the nail
bed will be treated with a
chemical called phenol. The
chemical destroys the nail bed
and prevents recurrence of the
problem in most cases. Following
this procedure you will be left
with a narrower piece of nail.
Total nail avulsion
The whole nail will be removed
in this procedure. You should
be left without a nail and in
time the skin over the healed
nail bed may thicken to
resemble a thin nail.
Benefits and risks of nail surgery
This is a safe procedure, however as with any operation there are
some risks attached:
Benefits
l Permanent cure
l Relief of painful condition
l Pain free procedure once you
have had the injection
l Treatment in your local clinic
or as an outpatient at Salford
Royal
l Minimal time off school /
work
l Local anaesthetic, fasting not
necessary
l Resolves recurrent problem
l Removes cause of infection
l Partial removal of the nail is
cosmetically acceptable
l Prevents future complication,
Risks
l Pain after your operation
which varies from person to
person
l The procedure involves the
use of a chemical which on
occasion may cause irritation
to the treated area
l As with any local anaesthetic
there is a risk of an allergic
reaction
l The treated nail bed and
surrounding tissue may
become infected
l Permanent deformity of the
remaining nail
l Total removal of the nail
may not be cosmetically
acceptable
l On rare occasions the nail
may re-grow
l Damage to nerve or blood
flow
l Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
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2
Unique Identifier: CS 17 (16). Review date: March 2018.
Self aftercare
Following your surgery you
will be required to keep your
wound dressed to prevent
infection.
You will need to soak your foot
in salt water and redress daily
for the first week.
After the first week you can
reduce the number of times
you redress your toe, this will
normally be about 3 times a
week.
You will need to keep a
dressing on your toe until the
wound is dry and fully healed.
Always change your dressing
if it gets wet or dirty. If you
are bathing or showering leave
your dressing in place until
after your shower and then
redress.
Salt footbaths
Add approximately 2 teaspoons
of salt to each pint of warm
water, no hotter than 30°C, in a
clean bowl. Use enough water
to cover your foot.
Soak for approximately 2
minutes.
Dry your feet carefully with
something clean taking extra
care over the wound site. Do
not touch the wound.
Over the course of the next 2-6
weeks as the wound is healing
the nail surgery site will become
drier. As this happens you will
find the dressings have less
discharge on them.
When there is no visible
discharge on the dressing you
can stop bathing and dressing
your toe.
Dressings
Your podiatrist will advise you
what to use but generally you
will need
l Non-adherent dressing e.g.
Melolin or Skintact
l Surgical tape 2.5cm wide e.g.
Micropore or Ecopore
l You may wish to buy tubular
bandage but this is not
necessary and is not available
on prescription
Steps
1. The dressing should be
placed directly over the
wound, shiny side down.
2. It is important not to wrap
the tape tightly around your
toe as this may reduce the
blood flow.
3. Alternatively use tubular
bandage then secure this
with the surgical tape.

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Frequently asked questions
Will the operation hurt?
The only part of the procedure
that you should feel will be
the injection of the local
anaesthetic.
Will I be able to see what
you are doing?
Only if you want to. We
generally lie you flat whilst we
are doing the procedure.
Will it bleed?
There may be some bleeding
after the procedure but not
usually during.
5 © G16022203W. Design Services, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust,
Appointments
Will I be able to go to
school / work straight
away?
There is no reason why you
should not return the following
day, providing you wear roomy
footwear as advised and do
not do activities which will
aggravate the wound.
Will it be painful
afterwards?
Some people experience
pain, whilst others report no
discomfort. You may wish to
speak to your local pharmacist
with regards suitable pain
management. Avoid aspirin
based products, as these tend
to prevent blood clotting.
Can I drive afterwards?
We strongly advise that you do
not drive until the numbness
wears off. Doing so may
invalidate your car insurance.
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Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust
All Rights Reserved 2016
This document MUST NOT be photocopied
University Teaching Trust
Information Leaflet Control Policy:
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Review Date: March 2018

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to enable individuals with
disabilities, to access this
treatment / service.

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