What is nail surgery?
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This is a minor operation to remove the partial nail avulsion or sometimes all (total nail avulsion) of an ingrowing or thickened nail. A partial nail avulsion will leave you with a narrower nail whereas a total nail avulsion leaves no nail, just an indentation where the nail used to be.
This is done by removing the tissue where the nail grows from (nail matrix) either surgically (Zadek’s and Winograd procedures are common techniques) or by using a chemical (phenol).
Why would it be performed? Nail surgery is performed because the nail is either ingrowing or deformed and hasn’t responded to non-surgical treatment. The aim of the surgery is usually to prevent the area of nail that is removed from growing back.
