Ingrown toenail and a simple procedure to alleviate

Ingrown toenails are very painful. Many times we will see redness and swelling with this. Don’t try to fix this yourself. It will be even more painful and you could introduce infection exacerbating the problem. Then sooner or later you will wind up in a podiatry office for relief. Just leave it alone and call us. We can usually get you in for this the day you call. Dr. Saldino will numb the nail and take care of it in a sterile environment. This leaves you pain free immediately.

The causes are many; poor shoe choices with less than optimal width, genetics, poor pedicure or improper nail trimming. We see a rise in ingrown toenails this time of year with everyone lacing up and getting outdoors and more active. Whether it be for sports, school, or just running or walking for your health, be sure and wear proper footwear to avoid a painful ingrown. Be sure you have ample width and length for your toes in our footwear. When trimming your nails, trim them straight across. do not arc or curve them.

If you have an ingrown, the procedure itself to alleviate it is virtually pain free and performed here in our office. Dr. Saldino removes the painful nail shard while your toe is numbed. The after care is simple at home soaking for 10-15 minutes a couple of times a day. Generally antibiotics are not even required. Just good hygiene and keeping the area washed usually does the trick. A follow up with Dr. Saldino a few weeks later to check progress should show it nicely healed and looking remarkably well by then.

This can sometimes be a chronic or recurring problem for a small percentage of patients. If this is the case, a simple ablation procedure can be performed (also here in our office) to permanently remove part of the nail. It will leave the nail with a nice straight border which will never cause you problems again. This procedure increases the healing time by one week.

Both ingrown toenail procedures are almost always covered by your insurance. It does go to your deductible if you have not met that. Our Patient Account Specialist can help you determine this and any estimated costs you may incur prior to the procedure.

Don’t put this off thinking you will be down for weeks or have to put your life on hold or miss work. You can resume your normal activities, go on that vacation, get back to sports and your life within 24 hours of the procedure. Call us today for instant relief! 903 838 FOOT