Surgical Strategies for Ingrown Toenails: A Comprehensive Review of Techniques, Outcomes, and Advancements

Ingrown toenail (IGTN), known as onychocryptosis or unguis incarnatus, is a painful condition affecting the big toe, with symptoms including pain, inflammation, and infection. This review explores surgical options for IGTN, categorized into altering the nail plate or diminishing periungual tissues. Conservative treatments alleviate early-stage symptoms, while surgical interventions are reserved for severe cases. Various surgical techniques are discussed, such as the Winograd technique, Vandenbos procedure, chemical matricectomy, radiofrequency ablation, bipolar diathermy, carbon dioxide laser ablation, Zadik's procedure, Howard-Dubois procedure, Super U procedure, Noël's procedure, knot technique, and toenail paronychium flap. The choice of procedure depends on the severity and recurrence of IGTN.