Ingrowing toenail

Just been to see the nurse at my local GP and have been informed I have an ingrowing toenail to the right hand side of my right hand big toe. For this I will be sent to have this cut out, I am now waiting for details to be sent out regarding this.

My question is I have number of races coming up in the next few months and I am worried I may have to miss some if these events due to toenail operation. Does any body have any experience of how long it takes to heal after having the toenail dealt with? Or do you think I will be able to just continue running straight away after operation?

Comments

  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭

    Expect this to take between 2 weeks and 2 months to heal (probably nearer to 2 weeks if you are otherwise healthy) depending on exactly what they do. They often use a chemical to try and stop that part of the nail from regrowing, this can cause a reaction after about 10 days - pain, inflammation and discharge for a couple of days. The area will be dressed until it is well on the way to healing, this will need changing regularly and you will be advised to keep it dry meanwhile.

    Take an open toed sandal with you when you have it done as the first dressing is often quite bulky. Expect the local anaesthetic to last for at least a couple of hours, you might need some paracetamol/ibuprofen for a few days after that.

  • Thanks for your reply. I guess until I know exactly when I am going to have the operation it is difficult to gauge whether I will be able to recover for my races or not. Looks like I will have to have some time resting then, which is a shame and keeping it dry will be a nightmare also as I do a lot of swimming which will have to miss also!. I suppose the surgeon will advice me what the best recover time is and what I can do with it.

    So with your toe bandaged after operation, can you not just put your trainers on and continue running? or it it too painful?

  • When you say where an open toed sandal after the operation. Do you think my foot would still be ok to drive a car with? Or do I need to arrange collection after the nail is dealt with?
  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭

    The first dressing is likely to be very bulky, cos the nail bed can bleed quite a bit, you might not be able to get a normal shoe on at first. As the toe will be numb from the local anaesthetic, you should be OK to drive home. Rest with your foot higher than the hip for the first day or so as this will minimise bleeding and pain.

    After the first couple of days, the main limiting factor will be keeping the toe dry. You will have a small open wound and getting it soggy (including sweaty soggy) will increase the risk of infection and thus delay healing.

    As I said, the exact time for healing depends on how much has to be done and your general health so it is impossible to give you more than a general guide.

  • Slugsta: Thanks for the reply. I think the nurse at my local GP said they would just cut out the corner of my nail rather then remove the whole thing. I consider myself to be in good health so no problems there. Was just wondering as have my next marathon in 3 & 1/2 weeks, then another one the week after and another one the week after that too. Waiting to hear from them when the operation will be, so if it not soon enough to recover before races, guess I will have to put operation off until I have done marathons.
  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭

    We always say that peeps have to 'earn' their toenail op. By this, we mean that they have to have enough of a problem to want to put up with the discomfort and inconvenience afterwards. If it's not bad enough to stop you running it might be worth considering some home care options, at least until after your maras.

    Lookie here

  • Yeah, just had a look Slugsta, but think as mine is infected as is red and swollen around side of toe and has been oozing puss and blood for a few weeks now, but not causing pain though, it is to late to do a DIY job. But thanks for the link.

    Will have to see when they get back to me with appointment date, then make arrangements then to fit in with marathons. Maybe I could miss one race, but two of them I really want to run.

  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭
    Yep, it sounds as if you might have gone past the DIY stage. I'm suprised it's not causing you more pain!
  • Well I say it is not causing me pain, I am beginning to notice it, hence why I went to local GP today. It has been like it for about 3 weeks now and I just thought it would heal itself, but it never.

    Guess if it starts to get really bad I will just have to get it dealt with ASAP and miss races, but if I can manage to carry on I will put of the operation off until after first two marathons, which will be end of September. Unless they get back to me pretty soon and can have operation done with time to heal before races come up.

    Am waiting for a bloody letter now!

  • Hi SR - My son had this operation about a year ago after being in a lot of pain and constant infections for many months.  We eventually paid for him to have it done privately as the waiting time to see a Chiropodist on the NHS was 6 - 9 months and he was in a lot of pain.  He had both feet done and couldn't wear shoes for about a week after the op.  Have you seen a chiropodist at all?  My son did and she sorted the problem out initially without the op but the nails just kept growing back in after treatment.  If yours has only just started giving you problems it could just be that you have not cut your nail appropriately and the full op may not be necessary?
  • Tiggerlilly: I think the problem is I have been cutting my nails too rounded at the sides rather then leaving them straight. A lesson I have learnt now! Think the nurse said that they will just cut the nail back rahter then full removal, so maybe this is like your son had.

    6-9 months! blimmey I was hoping they would have it sorted in the next week or two. Guess I need not worry about missing my races if it takes the NHS that long.

    No, I have not seen a private Chirpodist. I will let the NHS sort it out.

  • Yes - my son had the nail partially removed down to the bed then the nail bed killed off with chemicals after the first option didn't work.  Hope you get sorted quickly.

  • Tiggerlily: thanks for the reply. To be honest I do not care how long it takes to get sorted, as long as I can run my races.I hate having to withdraw!
  • I was scheduled to have an op on 2 ingrowing toenails when I was 11. Complete hash up by the NHS though, the nurse injected the anaesthetic directly into the nerve leaving me in massive pain before the anaesthetic took affect (I literally went white as a sheet). I became so faint that I didn't want the other toe to be operated on. The nail was partially removed down both sides towards the bed, and although chemicals were administered grew back within a few months.

    As for post op dressings. You have a massive dressing for the first 48 hours following the operation. This is then removed by a nurse in a follow up appointment. A smaller dressing (that can possibly be worn under looser shoes is applied for a 5-7 days before being given the smallest dressing (almost like a mini sock to wear over the big toe alone) to wear for another fortnight.

    To this day I live with ingrowing toenails, and bar occassional redness and irritation they have given me no reason to be messed around with again.

    An old friend of mine had the whole toenail removed permenently. Although it looks odd he says it never caused him a problem since.

  • Now this is interesting.....

    My partner went to the chiropodist the other day with an ingrown toenail.  The chiropodist said that the idea of cutting nails straight across is old hat and actually encourages nails to become ingrown.  The correct way IS to round the nails so that the nail curves away from the skin at the sides.

    So, who/which is right, cos I'm now very confused! 

  • Solent, I have been running for quite sometime with deformed toenails because of my hammer toes and curling of toes underneath the other toes. I try to trim them the best I can. The best thing that I have been able to do to keep the toes from aching and hurting like hell, is to wear toe socks. They may or may not help you, but they have done wonders for me. Worth a try.

  • Well I received a letter today letting me know I have been put on the waiting list at the District Podiatry Service. So guess if what my cousin told me who had the same operation recently, it will be ages until I get dealt with. So should be able to run my forthcoming marathons.

    Went for a 25 miler this morning and just glugged the said toe up with Vaseline, and had no pain what so ever. So hopefully can continue running until operation, then will have to accept I will have to have a couple of weeks off exercise whilst recovering.

    Thanks for all your replies.

  • Solent Runner a fair few years ago I suffered with a ingrown toenail, I suffered with it for 18 months, don't ask me how, I just did. Two visits to a chiropodist didn't help. In the end the pain got that much that I went private and had a partial Nail removal done.

    Immediately it felt better, like a huge pressure release, a simple process, numbed the toe injected with local anaesthetic, and then cut away at the nail, and cauterized the nail bed so it wouldn't grow back.

    Not suffered with it since, though I have thought at times it was ingrown again but it's just turned out to be rubbing etc, through shoes and stuff.

    Think I was told to rest for two weeks (was playing footy regularly at the time)

  • Jay: think I will stick with NHS for the time being and just hope I I get no recurrence or infection after treatment. Have accepted I will have to have a couple of weeks off exercise now after operation. Just hope I can fit the treatment in between race dates as have 7 races left this year I would like to run.

    Just got to wait for the appointment now, but got a feeling it might be a while.

  • Well finally got to see the Podiatrist earlier today.

    It appears things have healed themselves. A change in my nail clipping technique, from cutting rounded end's to square was all that was required. All they did was give me a metal file to aid this style of trimming.

    So no surgery required for meimage.

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