What You Need to Know About Your Child’s Ingrown Toenail Surgery

Why Ingrown Toenail Surgery Doesn’t Have to Be Scary at Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle

Ingrown toenails are an incredibly common podiatric condition that can affect almost anyone, but they’re especially prevalent among children, teenagers, and young adults. While surgery is a last-resort treatment, it’s often the only way to keep infections in check or to prevent chronic problems.

The professionals at Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle go to great lengths to ensure that your child’s ingrown toenail surgery is performed with the utmost care and consideration. Learn more about this condition, why we might recommend surgery, and what you can do to prepare your child and yourself.

Ingrown Toenails: What They Are and Why Home Remedies Don’t Always Work

An ingrown toenail starts to form when the corner or side of a nail grows into the tissue surrounding the cuticle. Symptoms are usually mild and typically include:

Pain and tenderness around the affected toenail

Inflammation and swelling, which could feel worse when wearing tight footwear or closed shoes

An unpleasant odor that doesn’t wash away

The appearance of oozing pus or yellow-colored fluid

The condition usually develops due to poor nail-trimming techniques. However, it’s more common in healthy children than healthy adults because of hormonal shifts. Many kids and teens sweat a lot as they grow, and this excessive moisture softens the skin around their toenails.

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Understanding Why Your Doctor is Recommending Surgery

Many cases of ingrown toenails can be treated without any need for a trip to the podiatrist’s office, but more serious cases may be cause for concern. At Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle, our experienced foot doctors in Caldwell and Meridian typically recommend surgery if:

Your child’s nail is embedded in the skin.

The ingrown nail or the surrounding tissue shows signs of infection.

There’s a severe foot or toe injury.

Your child keeps developing ingrown toenails despite previous treatment.

Preparing Your Child for Ingrown Toenail Surgery

Ingrown toenail surgery is simple, safe, and fast. Most children only need several days of rest before resuming their normal routines, subject to some mild restrictions on sports and other high-intensity activities.

But the prospect of toenail removal is still frightening for both children and parents. Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle’s podiatric surgeons use different techniques to address various aspects of ingrown toenails, and we always explain procedures in detail and provide plenty of time to answer questions. The most common types of ingrown toenail surgeries include:

Wedge excisions. This process removes the embedded portion of the toenail along with a small section of tissue.

Nail bed ablations. We lift and remove part or all of the affected nail. A chemical compound may be applied to the nail bed to prevent immediate or abnormal regrowth.

Partial or complete nail avulsion surgery. Also known as a matrixectomy, this procedure removes part or all of the nail, and it won’t grow back.

Keep calm, and let your child know that their surgery isn’t a big operation—they’ll receive a local anesthetic that’ll prevent them from feeling pain, and they won’t have to watch the doctor remove their toenail if they don’t want to. Most procedures take about 20 minutes from start to finish.

What to Do Before Your Surgery Appointment

There’s not a lot you or your child has to do to prepare for ingrown toenail surgery, but here’s how you can help the process go more smoothly:

Keep your child’s affected toenail clean, and advise them not to put too much pressure on it.
Talk to your child’s teachers and coaches about their upcoming surgery and why they won’t participate in sports practices or gym classes before and after the procedure.
Bring comfortable footwear for your child to put on after the procedure—avoid closed-toe shoes. Sandals without straps between the toes are best after surgery, as straps can get in the way of bandages.

What to Do After Surgery

Although this is a low-risk procedure, still keep an eye on your child after going back home. Younger children may need help with post-surgery practices, such as keeping the area clean until the skin heals, and knowing how to gently dry their toes whenever they bathe. If necessary, we may prescribe antibiotic lotions or creams to put on or around the affected toenail, but you should avoid using other types of ointments. Our medical team provides a detailed post-surgical care checklist.

Although the prospect of a child’s ingrown toenail surgery can be daunting, long-term complications afterward are rare. Ultimately, you’re choosing a procedure that prevents future complications—and at Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle, we ensure that our young patients have a safe, fast, and efficient recovery so they can enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle once again.