Modified sleeve method treatment of ingrown toenail

BACKGROUND. Ingrown toenail is a common problem that causes inconvenience, pain, and limitation of daily function. Current conventional treatment methods are not satisfactory and have a high recurrence rate. OBJECTIVE. To evaluate a modification of an existing, although uncommonly used, method for treating ingrown toenail. METHODS. Patients with ingrown toenail were treated under local anesthesia by insertion of a flexible narrow plastic tube under the toenail along its lateral border. Tube fixation was performed with silk or nylon 2-0 sutures passed through the toenail. Granulomatous and inflamed tissue was removed by electrocautery or local excision. RESULTS. Twenty-eight procedures were performed in 25 patients. In 20 procedures (71.4%), no recurrences were recorded; the other 8 procedures (28.6%), were symptomatic. CONCLUSION. This method for the treatment of ingrown toenail was found to be simple and efficient, with a relatively low recurrence rate. Therefore we currently advocate this procedure as the treatment of choice.