It may be best to remove a toenail if it is infected, deformed or has a tendency to ingrow. The toenail will eventually regrow if it is partially or entirely removed. This, however, may take from six months to more than a year. If the nail was deformed, it is likely to regrow deformed again. However, it is possible to partially or completely remove the toenail so that regrowth of a deformed nail is prevented.
Removal of a toenail involves the excision, removal, or destruction of the nail growth area. Although this can be accomplished by surgical excision, it is more common to apply a chemical to the nail bed and growth area to destroy the growth cells. The advantages of this procedure are minimal post-operative discomfort and a low incidence of regrowth. Only simple home care is required despite the fact that the healing process may take several weeks.
Can corns or calluses be permanently removed?
Corns and calluses are usually caused by pressure over a bony prominence, a rise. There might be shoe pressure on the top of a toe, or weight bearing pressure on the ball of the foot. Regardless of which situation, surgically cutting out the corn or callus fails to get to the source of the problem. Thus, the corn or callus will return once the stress is resumed. Rather, it is necessary to remove and/or realign the bone. By doing this, the pressure is permanently eliminated and the thick skin disappears.
Sometimes the stress can be alleviated without surgery. Occasionally, changing the type of shoe worn, or by wearing orthotics, pressure can be satisfactorily relieved.
In other cases, a lesion may appear, which seems to be a corn but is actually a wart. Warts are not caused by pressure. When these occur on a non-weight bearing area, it may respond to simple surgical removal. A visit with your podiatrist will help determine whether surgery would be the right course of treatment.
Dr. Robert Abrams, DPM, is medical director of the FootCare Center of Santa Clarita. For more information, please call 661-253-3668 or visit www.killerfeet.net .