Doctor McGowan explains in this video what a bunion is and why not all bunions need surgery. Feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you think!
One of the most common procedures we perform on a daily basis in the office is the permanent
removal of an ingrown toenail. This simple in office procedure takes only minutes to remove a
problem you have been struggling with for months or years and it is a permanent fix. This
procedure is called a Chemical Matrixectomy.
The first step is making sure the toe is numb.I am always honest with patients and let them know
the shots are going to hurt but it is a quick process. In order to assure the toe will not feel the procedure
happening it is necessary to inject the toe in 4 seperate locations. Patients sometimes get confused by this
but I explain we have lots of little nerves that can be supplying that area of the toe and we do not want
them to feel anything! Below is a video showing how the toe is numbed.
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The procedure: After the toe is numb we go through the steps of performing an ingrown nail procedure. The nail is freed top and bottom from the nail bed and skin. Next the sliver or border of nail that is hurting is cut back all the way to underneath the skin where the nail originates at the nail matrix. Once that border of the nail is removed the medicine is applied using long q-tip applicators that will stop that border of the nail from growing again. The area is then cleansed with alcohol and a dressing is applied. The video below shows me performing this procedure.
Finally after care I tell patients this is their time to shine. If they can perform two soaking sessions a day in luke warm water and epsom and keep the toe covered with an antibiotic cream and band aid they will do awesome! I explain to patients the main goal is to keep the toe clean and the area moist. We do not want a scab to form or the toe will get red and painful.
Who gets this perfomed: we see all ages for this procedure. The summer is a particularly great time for kids to finally stop suffering from an ingrown toenail. Often a child will hide this problem from their parent until it is a total mess! But if your child has this problem you can assure them we can make it better in one office visit. We see lots of kids and adults for this problem and we always tell patients this is one of our favorite procedures to perform due to the patient satisfaction being very high after this procedure has been performed.
If you know someone suffering with an ingrown toenail and they live in Central Florida we would be happy to see them and help them with their problem by giving them a permanent solution! Make an appointment online here!
