Does ingrown toenail surgery hurt? This is one of the most common questions Podiatrist’s are asked. The answer is No, ingrown toenail surgery does not hurt. The only pain that will occur happens before the surgery and that is with the injections. A Podiatrist will give you two or four injections of numbing medications into the toe . The amount of shots depends on what part of the toenail you are having removed. Now right before the injection a great deal of Podiatrist will spray cold spray so you do not feel the prick of the needle piercing the skin. After the needle is under the skin, the anesthetic is infiltrated under the skin. During the infiltration is when the majority of your pain from the ingrown toenail surgery occurs. You will feel a burning sensation underneath the skin from the infiltration. There is nothing the Podiatrist can do to lessen the burning sensation. The Podiatrist will then wait a couple minutes for the numbing medication to take effect. Once you are numb you will not feel anything during the ingrown toenail removal.
During the procedure for the ingrown toenail removal, I would recommend that you bring a book or an Iphone; anything to read or watch to take your mind and concentrate off the procedure itself. If you are focused and watching the Podiatrist it tends to hurt more than if you are distracted and not paying attention.
Now, people are always concerned after the procedure if it will hurt. The predominate answer to that is no. The ingrown toenail was the portion causing your pain and it has been removed. Occasionally, you will have some lingering discomfort but nothing a Motrin will not take care of. You will not need narcotics for after ingrown toenail surgery. If you are experiencing pain, your podiatrist may recommend you soak it, but do not hesistate to contact the doctor to ask about the pain, and what can be done to subside the pain. Ingrown toenail surgery is a quick and rather pain-free procedure you should not hesitate to have it done.