Nail surgery is performed when an ingrown toe nail does not resolve with conservative treatments. The procedure carried out is a partial nail avulsion (PNA).
The podiatrist will use a local anaesthetic to numb the toe before the procedure starts. One or both sides of the nail are removed right down to the root and a chemical called phenol is applied to the nail matrix to inhibit the nail growing back into the sides.
This minor surgical procedure has a very high success rate in order to prevent regrowth and recurrence of the ingrown toenail.
