Nail Surgery

Nail surgery with phenolisation of the nail bed is the “Gold Standard”, permanent solution for painful, recurrent ingrowing toenails.

Nail Surgery

If you don’t want to wait several months for NHS treatment then our Podiatrists at Active Step are able to provide you with nail surgery within a week.

The nail surgery procedure takes around 90 minutes and most people are able to return to work/school the following day with minimal interruption to their lives!

Nail surgery is an effective permanent solution to the following nail complaints:

Ingrown toenails
Thick & deformed nails
Fungal nails that have not responded to conservative treatment
Recurrent nail infections such as Paronychia

At Active Podiatry, Nail Surgery is performed by our HCPC registered Podiatrists. A local anaesthetic will be injected into both sides of the base of the affected toe.The local anaesthetic may cause some discomfort when being injected into the toe. Once the toe has been fully anaesthetised, a tourniquet (tight band) will be applied to the toe to prevent bleeding during the procedure.

After the surgery, the tourniquet will be removed, the toe will be checked for return of your blood supply to the toe and a sterile dressing will be applied. You will then remain for a short period of time in the clinic with your foot up and the dressing will be checked to make sure there is not too much bleeding before you leave the clinic. You will be followed up within 72 hours where the toe will be checked and redressed.

At Active Step we are covered by the following major insurance companies to perform nail surgery:

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What are the benefits of having nail surgery?

The goal of nail surgery is to provide a long term solution to painful ingrowing toenails, extremely thick and unsightly nails and recurrent nail infections. After healing, patients will be able to wear shoes that may have previously aggravated their ingrowing toenail and resume sport and recreational activities that they were unable to participate in while they were suffering.

Conditions that may benefit from Nail Surgery are: Ingrowing toenails, thick nails, nails with extensive fungal infection, nails with recurrent infection around the cuticle known as paronychia.

What are the risks of having a local anaesthetic?

In extremely rare cases, local anaesthetics have caused an allergic reaction with rashes, swelling or very low blood pressure. You must inform your Podiatrist of any previous reactions or complications that have happened when you have had a local anaesthetic in the past.

Other risks or complications that may occur very rarely include:

Postoperative infection, which your Podiatrist will manage by supplying you with a course of antibiotics.
Chemical flare which will cause your toe to look extremely red and rosy for a few weeks, although this is not serious and will settle down as the toe heals
Prolonged numbness or tingling in the toe caused by nerve irritation from the injection. This is rare but can last several weeks before resolving.
Nail regrowth can occur in 5% of cases, and is usually minor and not problematic. Very rarely some patients do not respond to the chemical applied (phenol)and may have to be referred for an orthopaedic procedure to resolve their ingrowing toenail.
Delayed healing may occur where there are underlying health complaints that may compromise the speed in which the body heals, however your Podiatrist will monitor you until resolution.

Treatments & Solutions

Our team of HCPC registered Podiatrists provide advanced treatments for a wide range of foot & ankle conditions.

About Active Step

We have a culture of continuous learning, enabling us to stay at the forefront of modern healthcare techniques and deliver world class Podiatry care.

Get In Touch

For more information regarding conditions and their treatments available at Active Step, or to book a treatment, please get in contact.