Slovenská chirurgia 2/2013

Vandenbos operation. New philosophy of surgical treatment for recurrent ingrown toenail

Aim of study: To assess the effectiveness of the Vandenbos operation for recurrent ingrown toenail in terms of pain, duration of healing and recurrence. Material and methods: 24 patients (31 toes), 15 men, 9 women, operated in outpatient department under local anesthesia. In a subsequent prospective follow-up assessed the need for analgesic, wound healing, and time of complet healing. The incidence of recurrence we observed also after complete healing. Results: Patients tolerated the surgery well, administration of analgesics 0-12 days (avg. 2.3 days), the healing time of skin wound 3-8 weeks (avg. 5.6 week) complete healing of 4-19 weeks (avg. 11.4). Postoperative follow-up 10-27 months. Recurrence of disease: none. Conclusion: Vandenbos operation is an effective alternative procedure of recurrent severe stages of ingrown toenail. Greater difficulty of postoperative follow-up care is balanced by zero rate of recurrence. Cosmetic and functional effect is good. Due to the physiology of nail growth should be more long-term monitoring of patients for a definitive assessment.

Keywords: ingrown toenail, overgrown toeskin, Emmert operation, Suppan operation, Vandenbos operation, phenolisation, rate of recidive.