Simple operative management of ingrown toenail using bipolar diathermy.
Ingrowing toenails (IGTN) cause significant discomfort for children and adults alike. Where conservative treatment fails, a surgical approach is usually adopted. Many surgical procedures have been described with varying complexity and outcome. We report a novel, simple technique which involves wedge excision of the ingrowing nail, and bipolar diathermy of the nail bed. Three-hundred and fifty-three procedures were carried out on 302 patients during the study period. Our re-operation rate for recurrence is 9.9%, which compares favourably with other techniques, and which lends itself to utilisation for minor surgery lists in primary care.
Farrelly
P J
PJ
Paediatric Surgery, Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom. pjfarrelly@googlemail.com
Minford
J
J
Jones
M O
MO
D002648:Child; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009263:Nails, Ingrown / Q000601:surgery*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019990:Perioperative Care