Ingrown Toenail Surgery Cost

Last Updated on September 12, 2023 | Written by CPA Alec Pow
First Published on September 6, 2020 | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popivker

If there is one part of the body that takes in all the impact of the physical hit, it ought to be the foot. In reality, in practically every concept of contact sports (like boxing), the flow of physical power originates from having a steady position (for this reason the word ‘footing’ or ‘grip’). It is not a surprise to learn that this part of the body also experiences the (probably) most vexing of all small injuries known to man – the ingrown toenail.

Statistically, around 10% of the whole population in the United States has actually had an ingrown toenail at one point or the other in their lifetime. It is also reported that 5% of all consultations with podiatric doctors are because of a persistent ingrown toenail. Though about 32 million Americans can definitely point out this injury firsthand, only fewer could have had an idea about what is the cause.

By its definition, an ingrown toenail happens when the nails on either or both sides of the toe affect the inner skin. Amongst the numerous factors that cause this unusual nail development include incorrect nail cutting, inappropriate foot hygiene, tight shoes, athletic activity (like kickboxing, ballet, gymnastics, soccer, etc.), and hereditary predisposition. Suffice to state, that ingrown toenails can be painful for people up to the degree that they would need surgical treatment in order to get rid of it.

3 Phases of Ingrown Toenail

So just how much does ingrown toenail surgery cost? Let’s pause for a second! After all, it is crucial for everybody to find out how bad it actually is no matter the degree of pain. There are 3 phases of efficiently assessing the level of an ingrown toenail. These are the levels of severity as named by Curve Correct:

Phase 1: The swelling

Signs consist of soreness and swelling, along with blunt discomfort under light pressure. The toenail has not yet cut through the inner skin.

Phase 2: The abscess

Signs consist of increased inflammation and swelling, accompanied by pus forming around the injured location. The toenail has at this point cut through the inner skin.

Phase 3: Granulation

Signs consist of persistent swelling and the relative impossibility of standing or touching the ground with the foot. Septic tissue begins to grow around the injured location, obstructing possible drain of pus.

Also read our articles on the cost of surgeries to fix foot corn, bunion, and brachymetatarsia.

The 7-Step Treatment from Home

If the ingrown toenail is still in the early stage and hasn’t yet advanced to its 2nd phase, it is still possible to treat this damaged area without having to go through surgery. Although natural home remedy is a practical option for a moderate ingrown toenail, it is very important to remember that this treatment does not ensure total success. Healthy Tips World includes a few of the following actions for painlessly eliminating ingrown nails in the comfort of your home:

Action 1: Soak the foot in hot water mixed with Epsom salt for roughly thirty minutes.
Action 2: Thoroughly cut the nail at a fairly perpendicular angle to either side of the affected toe. It is necessary to totally avoid the ingrown part.
Action 3: With a lot of care try raising the ingrown toenail with any sterilized sharp instrument and place a small piece of the cotton ball under it with the help of tweezers.
Step 4: Use some antibiotic lotion (like Neosporin) on the sealed ingrown location to avoid infection.
Step 5: Keep the injured toe ventilated by using open-toed shoes (e.g. flops, shoes, peep-toe shoes).
Action 6: Repeat the whole treatment day-to-day and monitor the changes.
Action 7: Cut the exposed ingrown nail with a cuticle nipper.

For treatment at home and over-the-counter solutions, the conservative price to eliminate an ingrown toenail would not go beyond $50.

Typical Surgery Costs

If you fail to eliminate ingrown toenails with the help of natural home remedies is best to ask yourself just how much does ingrown toenail surgery cost. By this point, the ingrown toenail has actually advanced to either Phase 2 or Phase 3.

Prior to the surgery, the podiatric doctor might ask for a foot x-ray to figure out the precise depth and angle of the ingrown nail’s invasion. New Option Health puts that nationwide typical out-of-pocket expense at around $190. When it comes to the surgery itself, among the crucial elements impacting it would be whether the client has health insurance that will cover the part of the costs.

Without Insurance coverage

Usually, the ingrown toenail surgery should cost approximately $350 for uninsured clients, according to the nationwide average of MD-Save. Nevertheless, it is essential to remember that this average does not yet account for how complex the procedure is.

Severe kinds of invasive ingrown toenail surgeries might quickly go up to $1,000, specifically considering the expense of local anesthesia and other medications that help with the healing process. Another aspect that can increase the final price is if (by one’s incredibly bad luck) it will involve getting rid of ingrown nails from 2 toes.

With Insurance coverage

When it comes to the insured clients, the ingrown toenail surgery average cost might be somewhere between 10% and 50% of the out-of-pocket expenditure, with co-pay included. When it pertains to the information of the insurance plan, it is extremely recommended not to reveal the terms to the appointed doctor. The potential for unethical cost issuance on the part of the healthcare service provider warrants this degree of caution.

Ongoing toe surgery

On a more positive note, it is recommended for clients to make the most of their medical savings or compensation plans. Apart from lowering the cost of the surgery, one can keep or use the deducted funds without needing to pay any income tax.

Aftercare & Prevention

The National Health Institute mentions that surgery has around 98% percent success rate. Thus, it is essential to remember the most significant element adding to the 2% failure – the botched recovery triggered by ‘post-operative neglect.’ For that reason, it is essential to keep in mind the few costs of aftercare in the total price quote to get rid of the ingrown toenail.

Investing in recovery medications and prevention sets is an important part of preventing issues that involve another possibly expensive surgical treatment. These are a few of the normal products that represent the aftercare and prevention expenses:

Toe spacer gels: $6 to $20
Protective toe caps: $16.99
60 tablets of 5mg Acetaminophen (painkiller): $53.79
And most important – Appropriate clipping of the toenail: Free

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Alec Pow

CEO at ThePricer Media

Alec Pow is a thorough and methodical Financial and Business Analyst with over 15 years of experience in financial statement analysis, Foreign exchange derivative hedging instruments analysis, modeling, and risk management, with a long history of writing for big news publications like Forbes, MSN.com, Washington Post, and many more.