Originally Posted by
unterhausen
I was getting an ingrown toenail worked on and the resident told me she had all her toenails removed. This is now my dream for when I win the lottery. I have lost the ingrown toenail at least 3 times. Once due to frostbite and twice from riding. Bigger shoes helped so I don't lose it from riding any more.
No lottery winning needed. Call the podiatrist and tell them you want that toenail permanently removed. They’ll tell you that the risks are infection during healing and that your toe will be a lot less protected from injury without the nail.
The procedure takes about 10 minutes, you’ll limp out of the office because your foot is numb. It’s the same as a normal toenail plus a quick little acid burn.
I was mountain biking and ripping it up pretty hard the next day it was padded in gauze and hurt but was fine.
The portion my insurance didn’t cover was $800. That includes and X-ray because of preexisting hardware in there and a culture because I got a minor infection when I went camping for a week while it was still raw. I’m getting the other toe this fall between climbing and ski season. One of the best things I’ve done and well worth it.