PARTIAL MATRIXECTOMY WITH PHENOL

The ingrown nail or Onychocryptosis is a common disease, often bilateral and symmetrical, affecting mainly the big toe. The edge of the nail penetrates in the soft tissue and causes an inflammatory reaction that it’s often very painful.
Regarding the Etiology, the important factor is the mechanical and in particular the shape of the nail (nail too curved), or hallux valgus, a too long finger, a flat foot valgus, nail trauma , inadequate footwear, etc..

There are three degrees of ingrown toenails:

• 1st degree: Inflammation of the lateral nail fold with pain and sometimes purulent exudation
• 2 nd degree: formation of granulation tissue easily bleedingthat protrudes from the groove of the nail to hold the lamina in part. Pain persists that interferes with walking and sports activities.
• 3 rd degree: the granulation tissue is exposed to epithelialization with formation of a buffer that holds the lamina.

In the ingrown nail of 1° degree, the intervention of a Podiatrist is very useful because the removal of the spicule and a non-invasive treatment, canbe treated without surgery.
If the ingrown nail is 2° and 3°degree, and the lateral fold is very inflamed and bleeding, is necessary to remove the portion of the matrix that gives rise the lateral part of the lamina up to the lateral horn of the matrix.
This portion of the matrix is located deep in the phalanx and then surgically removed but not destroyed.
The surgery for the nail is very painful and don’t solve the problem definitively.

The best treatment for the severe ingrown nail (a fingernail that is not possible to treat with the therapy) is the Partial Onychectomy and matrixectomy with phenol, a podiatric surgery in ambulatory, performed under local anesthesia (Maximum 15 minutes).
With this intervention using the phenol for chemically destroy the lateral matrix of the nail.
The phenol has several properties that make it "irreplaceable" for this type of intervention:

• Has antiseptic properties, prevents the infection and don’t require the antibiotic therapy after surgery.
• Has anesthetic properties, and then he makes the post-surgery not painful,
• Has cicatrizing properties so after 2-4 weeks after the surgery, the finger is completely healed.

Only contraindication to this type of intervention are serious circulation problems.

The use of phenol has the advantage of producing excellent cosmetic results, it is not debilitating and painful and have a good chance of ultimate success (more than 95%).

Advantage of this technique is its relative low cost compared to more invasive and expensive treatments such as surgical resection with the laser.

For this type of treatment, contact a qualified and specialized Podiatrist.