Chemical Matricectomy With 10% Sodium Hydroxide for the Treatment of Ingrowing Toenails

Abstract

Matricectomy with 10% sodium hydroxide, either applied for 2 minutes or 1 minute combined with curettage, is equally effective in the treatment of ingrowing toenails with high success rates and minimal postoperative morbidity.

Nail surgery: indications and outcomes

“…The results with the two chemicals are comparable, although recent publications claim that there is no unpredictable tissue destruction, excessive drainage and prolonged inflammation and healing time with sodium hydroxide [26,27].…”

Treatment of ingrown toenails in the pediatric population

“…However, phenolization is not without disadvantages. The benefits of phenol appear to be at the cost of unpredictable tissue destruction, unpredictable healing times, significant inflammation and drainage, and increased postoperative infections [2,6,7].…”

“…Phenol, the first of such substances to be used, however, has lost favor by some because of unpredictable tissue destruction, unpredictable healing times, significant inflammation and drainage, and increased postoperative infections [2,5,6]. In recent years, NaOH has been more frequently used in adult clinical practice because of comparable outcomes with a better side effect profile [7].…”

Efficacy of intraoperative surgical irrigation with polihexanide and nitrofurazone in reducing bacterial load after nail removal surgery

“…This finding is also important because in other cold nail surgical techniques using surgical blades, such as Winograd or Frost, or even in chemical nail surgery using phenol or sodium hydroxide, [27][28][29] it is necessary to irrigate the nail matrix and nail bed before making an incision in the bone to reduce the bacterial load and to avoid contamination of the bone.…”

“…Upon nail removal, when the distal aspect of the hyponychium and lateral nailfold were freed, a large amount of tissue remained without antiseptic and may have served as a reservoir to contaminate the nail bed after nail plate removal. This is an important finding because in other cold nail surgical techniques using surgical blades, such as Winograd or Frost, or even in chemical nail surgery using phenol or sodium hydroxide, [27][28][29] irrigation of the nail matrix and nail bed may be necessary before making an incision to reduce bacterial load and prevent contamination of the bone.…”