Today I got to hit a milestone in my medical school education...I did my first nail avulsion. In normal terms: I removed my first toenail. Thats it you say? a toenail? how boring right? Wrong! For a medical student like me, this was basically my first surgery. Its like a right of passage into podiatry, a form of initiation, the bar mitzvah's, a welcome to the club kid kinda experience!!!!!! Ok, maybe I am being a little dramatic..but it really is a right of passage if you will. Literally, a my first surgery experience.
It was a great great experience and I am now itching to do more:) The procedure is basically for patients that come in that have ingrown toenails that are painful and usually infected. What we do is numb up the toe, which is usually the most painful and worst part of the whole procedure. We learned how to numb each others toes in class this time last year, and I can tell you from experience, its not pleasant. And for those of you who know me and my fear of needles when I am the patient..lets just say I tried my best not to make a scene in front of my fellow colleagues.
Anyway, so after the patient is numb, we stick a spatula type thing under the nail to lift it up from the nail bed, so it is easier to remove. Then we take these special scissors and cut the piece out. BAM! Done. No more ingrown toenail.
So, needless to say, it was a great end to the day, and a GREAT experience. Feel free to call me if you guys ever have an ingrown.
Cheers
Lauren
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