Cooperation Between a Doctor and a Podiatrist to Improve the Quality of Life of Patients with Ingrown Toenails

Cooperation between doctors of various specialties and other medical specialists is the standard of care in the treatment of patients. Due to the variety of diseases and the dynamic development of medicine in general, it is difficult to be an expert in every field and know all the recommended treatments. An example of such cooperation is the joint treatment of patients with the problem of ingrown toenails. The article contains an analysis of patients who received treatment in a doctor’s office in cooperation with podiatrists. A conservative approach towards the treatment of this condition sees the patient being initially diagnosed and treated by a podiatrist and then later, if necessary, being referred to a doctor for surgical treatment. The exchange of experiences and information on patients treated by interdisciplinary teams allows doctors and podiatrists to find the best possible treatment and improve the quality of life of patients. The follow-up of patients after surgery can be performed later in podiatry offices. Owing to modern electronic communication, it is possible for a doctor to constantly monitor the patient’s condition without the need for direct visits to the doctor’s office.

Does the Type of Surgical Technique and the Use of Prophylactic Antibiotics Affect the Clinical Results in Symptomatic Ingrown Toenail Patients?

Ingrown toenails are a common reason for referral to orthopedics and podiatry clinics. Recurrence and infection are common complications in ingrown toenail surgery. This study investigates the effect of an electrocautery matrixectomy on the recurrence and clinical outcomes in the Winograd technique applied in ingrown toenail surgery and whether prophylactic antibiotic use is necessary for these surgeries. One hundred forty-three patients who underwent surgery for ingrown toenails were analyzed retrospectively. Eighty-two patients underwent the Winograd procedure with electrocautery matrixectomy, whereas 61 patients underwent the Winograd procedure. While 78 patients were given prophylactic antibiotics, 65 patients were not. Patient satisfaction was evaluated with a surgical satisfaction questionnaire (SSQ). A visual analog score was used to evaluate the pain. Recurrence was observed in 3 toenails in the Winograd and electrocautery groups, while recurrence was observed in 9 toenails in the Winograd group ( P = .018). In both groups, there was no statistically significant difference between the infection rates between patients who took antibiotics and those who did not ( P > .05). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of SSQ scores ( P > .05). It was observed that the surgery performed had a positive effect on pain, and this effect was statistically highly significant in both groups ( P < .05). The outcomes of the present study suggest that the addition of an electrocautery matrixectomy to the Winograd technique in the surgical treatment of symptomatic Ingrown toenails may decrease recurrence rates. Additionally, this study showed that oral antibiotics, when used in addition to Ingrown toenail surgery, do not reduce postoperative morbidity.

Outcome of Partial Nail Avulsion Followed by Matricectomy Either With Phenol (80-88%) or With Electro Cautery for Toenails

Aim: To compare partial nail avulsion followed by matricectomy either with phenol (80-88%) or with electro cautery for Stage 2 & 3 ingrown toenails for early and late postoperative complications. Methods: This study was conducted at department of surgery Nawaz Sharif social security teaching hospital Lahore for one year from 01-01-2018 to 31-12-2018. One hundred patients full filling inclusion criteria were included in the study and divided into two equal groups A and B. Partial nail avulsion done in both groups followed by chemical matricectomy with phenol (80-88%) in group A and patients in group B matricectomy done with electrocautry. Results: The mean age in group A is 19.7± 8.08 years and in group B is 20.20± 6.9 years, both groups comparable p-value (0.74).In early post-operative complications in group A 17(34%) patients and 14(28%) patients in group B experienced mild pain p-value is (0.66). 6(12%) of group A patients and 6(12%) of group B patients experienced moderate pain p-value (01). 1(2%) of group A patient and 2(4%) of group B patients experienced severe pain p-value (01). 02(4%) patients of group A and 02(4%) patients of group B had serous discharge p-value(01). 1(2%) of group B patients have purulent discharge, however, no patients in group A patients have purulent discharge p-value (01). 1(2%) patients of group A and 2(4%) patients of group B had recurrence at three months follow up p-value (01). 2(4%) patients of group A and 4(8%) patients of group B had recurrence at six months follow up p-value (0.68). Conclusion: Partial nail avulsion followed by matricectomy either with Phenol 80-88% or with electrocautry are comparable in early and late complications. Keywords: Ingrown toenails, partial matricectomy

Risk factors for poorly controlled and recurrence-prone ingrown toenails treated with nail braces: A retrospective observational study of 238 cases

Background: Nail braces are reportedly effective for treating both acute inflamed and chronic dystrophic type ingrown toenails. Aims: In this study, risk factors for poorly controlled and recurrence-prone ingrown toenails treated with nail braces were identified. Methods: We performed a retrospective study on patients with ingrown toenails between June 1, 2015, and May 31, 2018. The last follow-up date was January 31, 2019. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate the possible factors associated with poorly controlled status (ongoing paronychia during treatment) and recurrence. Results: There were 120 (244 sides) and 118 patients (167 sides) with chronic dystrophic and acute inflamed type ingrown toenails, respectively. The mean treatment duration and follow-up period were 161.2 ± 98.3 days and 432.7 ± 320.9 days, respectively. Poor control and recurrence were seen in 7.3% (17/232) and 12.2% (27/221) of the patients, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, acute inflamed ingrown toenails, previous nail avulsion, proximal nail fold hypertrophy and more than one affected side remained significantly associated with poorly controlled ingrown toenails. Foot bone deformity was significantly associated with recurrence. Limitations: This study was a retrospective study so that confounding factors such as comorbidities, body mass index, accompanying nail changes and lifestyle could not be evaluated. Conclusion: Several risk factors related to poor control and recurrence were identified. Patients could therefore benefit from more suitable treatment plans with reasonable expectation.

Ultrasound-Guided Popliteal Nerve Block with Short-Acting Lidocaine in the Surgical Treatment of Ingrown Toenails

Background: Digital nerve block (DB) is a commonly utilized anesthetic procedure in ingrown toenail surgery. However, severe procedure-related pain has been reported. Although the popliteal sciatic nerve block (PB) is widely accepted in foot and ankle surgery, its use in ingrown toenail surgery has not been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of PB in the surgical treatment of ingrown toenails. Methods: One-hundred-ten patients surgically treated for an ingrown toenail were enrolled. Sixty-six patients underwent DB, and 44 underwent PB. PB was performed under ultrasound-guidance via a 22-gauge needle with 15 mL of 1% lidocaine in the popliteal region. The visual analogue scale was used to assess pain at two-time points: pain with skin penetration and pain with the solution injection. Time to sensory block, duration of sensory block, need for additional injections, and adverse events were recorded. Results: PB group demonstrated significantly lower procedure-related pain than the DB group. Time to sensory block was significantly longer in the PB group (20.8 ± 4.6 versus 6.5 ± 1.6 minutes). The sensory block duration was significantly longer in the PB group (187.9 ± 22.0 versus 106.5 ± 19.1 minutes). Additional injections were required in 16 (24.2%) DB cases, while no additional injections were required in PB cases. Four adverse events occurred in the DB group and two in the PB group. Conclusion: PB was a less painful anesthetic procedure associated with a longer sensory block duration and fewer repeat injections compared with DB. The result of this study implicates that PB can be an alternative anesthetic option in the surgical treatment of ingrown toenails.

Ingrown Toenail Management

Ingrown toenails are a common condition in general medicine and dermatology, and they occur when the nail curves inward and pierces the nail fold. Symptoms include pain in the affected toe, erythema and edema. The diagnosis is made clinically and, if left untreated, ingrown toenails can lead to infections and even cellulitis and osteomyelitis. Conservative treatments involve clipping on the spicule and topical antibiotics. However, the mainstay of treatment is matricectomy to reduce the recurrence rate. The risk of ingrown toenail development can be reduced by wearing proper footwear, keeping toenails cut straight and overall foot hygiene. Ingrown toenails can affect various patient populations but are more prevalent in males, young adolescents and pregnant patients. Risk factors include obesity, diabetes, improper toenail clipping and improper footwear. This review explores the clinical manifestations of ingrown toenails, along with their diagnosis and treatment, providing a concise review for physicians to accurately identify and effectively treat patients with ingrown toenails or their resultant complications.