Phenol chemical matricectomy is less painful, with shorter recovery times but higher recurrence rates, than surgical matricectomy: a patient's view

Abstract

Background: Ingrown toenails have a tendency for recurrence. Operative interventions can be successful, and several procedures are in use.

Objective: Retrospective evaluation, to reveal differences in postoperative pain, time to recovery, and satisfaction with the cosmetic outcome in patients treated with a phenol (PCM) or surgical matricectomy (SM).

Materials & methods: All matricectomy patients at the Dermatology Department of the Ludwigshafen City Hospital between 2004 and 2008 were interviewed over the telephone. Of 72 evaluable patients with a total of 112 ingrown nail sides, 33 were treated with PCM and 39 with SM. The patient group consisted of 40.3% women, the median age was 31.

Results: Patients after PCM indicated two points less postoperative pain on an analogue scale from 0 to 10 (p<.001). In the PCM group, more patients recovered from the operation in less than 1 week (p=.007). Patient evaluation of cosmetic outcome was not different between the groups (p=.76), but recurrence rates were significantly higher in the PCM group (31.5%, vs 6.9% in the SM group, p=.006)

Conclusion: Both matricectomies have advantages and disadvantages. We should discuss these issues with our patients to help them decide on the kind of matricectomy.