The treatment of ingrowing toenails

U ovom radu analizirali smo podatke o stanju 564 bolesnika, operiranih na Kirurškom odjelu Opće županijske bolnice u Požegi, zbog uraslog nokta, u razdoblju od 1982. do 1994. godine. Bilo je 424 (75,2%) muških i 140 (24,8%) ženskih bolesnika, u dobi od 18 do 77 (prosječno 47) godina. Promjene su bile nađene na palcu samo jednog stopala u 512 (90,8%) bolesnika, a obostrano u 52 (9,2%) operiranih. Svi bolesnici operirani su ambulantno, u lokalnoj anesteziji, metodom klinaste resekcije matriksa nokta, a nakon preoperacijskog suzbijanja infekcije, kupkama u antiseptičkim otopinama. Ovisno o opsežnosti procesa, ekscidirana je 1/4 do 1/3 nokta. Postoperacijski bilježimo 148 (26,2%) upala i 2 (0,4%) osteomijelitisa, a zbog recidiva je reoperirano 55 (9,8%) bolesnika. Valja spomenuti da je statistički znakovit (X2 = 9 , 078; p<0,01) udio dijabetičara u skupini recidiva (21,8%) u odnosu prema skupini infekcija (6,1%). Zaključno ističemo da za naše prilike opisanu metodu ocjenjujemo vrlo učinkovitom metodom izbora liječenja uraslog nokta, i kao takvu možemo je preporučiti i drugima.In this article we have analysed 564 patients operated on because of ingrowing toenails at the Surgical Department of the County General Hospital in Požega in the period from 1982 to 1994. There were 424 (75.2%) male and 140 (24.8%) female patients aged from 18 to 77 years (the average age was 47 years). Nails were ingrown on one toe-thumb only in 512 (90.8%) patients and on both toe-thumbs in 52 (9.2%). All the patients were treated ambulatory n local anesthesia by the method of wedge excision. Depending on progression of the process, 1/4 up to 1/3 of an ingrown toenail was surgically removed. Infection was suppressed preoperatively by antiseptic baths. Postoperatively, we found 148 (26.2%) patients with infections and 2 (0.4%) cases of osteomyelitis. Due to a relapse, 55 (9.8%) patients were reoperated on. It may be interesting to emphasize a statistically significant (x2 = 9.078; p< 0.01) part of the diabetics in the group of relapsed cases (21.8%) as compared to the cases with postoperative infections (6.1%). Finally, we can excel wedge excision as a wery effective method in the treatment of ingrowing toenails in our conditions, which can be recommended to other practitioners, as well