Preparing for Nail Surgery and Your
Aftercare
Department of Podiatry
Community and Therapy Services
This leaflet has been designed to
give you important information
about your condition / procedure,
and to answer some common
queries that you may have.
What is Nail Surgery?
On the day of the surgery
Nail surgery is the removal of all of the
toenail or part of the nail. A local anaesthetic
is used so that you will feel no pain during
the procedure. After removal of the nail, a
chemical is applied to the exposed nail bed
to prevent the nail growing back. Healing
takes between four to eight weeks, but can
take longer in some cases.

Please take a bath or shower

Please remove all traces of nail varnish

Do not drink any alcohol

Eat a normal light meal before the
surgery

Take any medication as normal unless
advised otherwise
Benefits

Bring suitable footwear that will fit over a
bulky dressing

You must not drive straight after you
have had the surgery. It is advisable that
arrangements are made for someone to
drive you home

You should not travel home by public
transport to avoid injury
The procedure is carried out mainly for
ingrowing toenails to resolve pain and
problems with recurrent infection. Phenol is
used to destroy the nail bed and prevent the
nail growing back however in rare occasions
the nail may regrow.
Risks
It is possible to have side effects from the
local anaesthetic but these are very rare.
Side effects include:

Nervousness

Dizziness / Drowsiness

Blurred sight

Fits

Breathing difficulties

Low blood pressure

Slow heartbeat

Loss of consciousness
In extremely rare cases, local anaesthetics
have caused an allergic reaction with rashes,
swelling or very low blood pressure. You
must inform the podiatrist of any previous
reactions or complications that have
happened when you have had a local
anaesthetic in the past.
The procedure will be performed by a
podiatrist and normally takes less than an
hour. A local anaesthetic will be injected into
both sides of the base of the toe. This may
cause some discomfort. The sensation of
both touch and pressure are not affected,
this is normal.
Once the toe has been fully numbed, 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
the blood supply to the toe and a sterile
dressing will be applied. The dressing will be
checked to make sure there is not too much
bleeding before you leave the clinic.
After the surgery
The toe may remain numb for up to 4 hours.
You should rest the affected foot as much as
possible especially in the first 24-48 hours.
Take your normal painkillers to reduce any
discomfort if needed and follow the
instructions on this leaflet.
Keep the dressings dry and in place. A small
amount of blood / fluid may appear through
the dressing. This is normal. However, if
you experience a lot of bleeding which
cannot be stopped by raising your foot, you
should seek medical advice.
Avoid drinking alcohol following the surgery.
You may need time off from school or work.
It is important to avoid undue pressure or
injury to the toe, it may be advisable to
inform your teacher / employer of the
procedure that has been carried out.
Redressings
The first redressing will be carried out within
3 days of the surgery. The bulky dressing
will be replaced by a much thinner sterile
dressing.
Following nail surgery the toe will weep and
stay moist at first. Small amounts of blood or
discharge are normal and are an essential
part of the healing process. This discharge
does not mean that the wound has become
infected. Because phenol has been used the
toe may become more inflamed with an
increase in discharge 2-3 weeks after the
surgery. This is a normal chemical
reaction and is not usually a cause for
concern.
Do not use antiseptic creams, solutions or
dressings other than what has been supplied
to you as these may affect the healing
process.
If you experience a sudden increase in
temperature, pain or excessive inflammation
/ swelling this may indicate that the toe has
become infected. Please contact your
podiatrist or GP or Out of Hours services as
further treatment may be required.
You will be monitored at the clinic until your
toe has fully healed, normally about 4-8
weeks. You will be supplied with appropriate
dressings and advised on their use. It is
important to continue dressing the toe until it
has healed and that you attend all of your
appointments. If you are planning a holiday
during this period please contact Podiatry
prior to your appointment.
Avoid strenuous exercise or sport until the
nail bed has fully healed.
Individual Advice
Anaesthesia
For Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital
Date administered:
Quantity:
Alternatively you can contact the Patient
Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on
(01472) 875403 or at the PALS office which
is situated near the main entrance.
Type and concentration:
For Scunthorpe General Hospital
Lot and Expiry date:
Alternatively you can contact the Patient
Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on
(01724) 290132 or at the PALS office which
situated on C Floor.
Site administered to:
Procedure:
Alternatively you can email:
[email protected]
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS
Foundation Trust
Reference Section
Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists
www.feetforlife.org
Contact details for Further
Information
Scartho Medical Centre
Springfield Road
Scartho
Grimsby
NE Lincs DN33 3JF
Tel: 01472 279687
Ironstone Centre
West Street
Scunthorpe
N Lincs DN15 6HX
Tel: 01724 203782
Diana Princess of Wales Hospital
Scartho Road
Grimsby
01472 874111
Scunthorpe General Hospital
Cliff Gardens
Scunthorpe
01724 282282
Goole & District Hospital
Woodland Avenue
Goole
01405 720720
www.nlg.nhs.uk
Date of issue: September, 2014
Review Period: September, 2017
Author: Professional Advisor for Podiatry
Concerns and Queries
IFP-327 v2.0
If you have any concerns / queries about any
of the services offered by the Trust, in the
first instance, please speak to the person
providing your care.
© NLGFT 2014