The most effective technique to treat a fungal nail infection is with toenail laser therapy. Unfortunately, because it is considered “aesthetic,” medical insurance does not currently cover this surgery. There are, however, some options for lowering the cost of laser therapy.
What are my options?
Treatment for nail fungus can help reduce thickness, enhance look, and make trimming easier. Treatment is usually not regarded medically required unless other issues such as diabetes, poor circulation, high pressure, or a loss of normal feeling are present.
The usage of antifungal liquids such as prescription Penlac, which has a cure rate of 7% and a 44 percent improvement rate.
The use of prescription oral Lamisil, which has a success rate of up to 66 percent but requires blood testing to check for probable liver damage.
How does the laser treatment work?
Dr. Penn employs a Q-Switched NdYAG laser, one of the most advanced dermatologic lasers available today. Impulses of high-powered laser energy flow through the nail to the nail bed and nail development area in 3-10 billionths of a second, with no damage to the nail or surrounding skin. The fungus is supposed to be eliminated throughout the operation. However, until the nail begins to grow out, there is no noticeable alteration. A more typical nail should appear after a few months, and total regrowth of the nail could take up to 9-12 months.
Is the procedure painful?
The majority of people are pain-free. During the operation, some patients may feel a mild warmth or a cracking feeling. If you experience any discomfort throughout the process, the laser power can be reduced slightly to alleviate the discomfort. There is no need for anesthetic.
How long does the procedure take?
The length of time depends on the extent to which the nails are involved. Using specialist technology, very thick nails are mechanically reduced to a more normal thickness. The laser is then applied, which takes only a few minutes on average. A consultation and treatment appointment normally lasts around 30 minutes.
Can the fungus return or not go away?
With just one therapy, the fungal infection should improve. To date, clinical reports have been positive, with the majority of patients reporting considerable improvements. It is impossible to give a 100 percent assurance in any medical operation. Furthermore, because fungus is found everywhere in the environment, reinfection is possible. Dr. Penn will suggest prophylactic measures to lessen the risk of reinfection. Changing socks and shoes on a regular basis, as well as managing perspiration, is beneficial.
Can I polish my nails or have a pedicure?
After the laser treatment, you can immediately apply nail paint. However, prior to your treatment, you must remove all nail polish.
How much does laser treatment cost?
The cost is determined by the number of infected nails and the severity of the illness. The typical cost of laser treatment in the United States is between $500 and $1200. However, because our office has the most cutting-edge laser technology, we can provide the most effective treatment in less time and for a lower price. Our prices range from $295 to $565. You can get a free consultation to see if you’re a good candidate for laser treatment. For pricing, please see our charge schedule. The charges are calculated depending on the number of nails that are clearly involved. During the first year, follow-up visits are provided at no cost. CareCredit offers flexible payment options.
Is nail fungus covered by insurance?
In general, Medicare does not cover routine foot treatment. Individuals with diabetes-related nerve issues, as well as those with foot disorders or injuries, are usually covered by Medicare for podiatrist visits. If a podiatrist identifies a toenail fungal infection that necessitates medical treatment, Medicare Part B, Original Medicare, and Medical Advantage insurance may cover a portion of the costs.
Recipients may be asked to pay a percentage of the cost, which is typically around 20% for podiatrist treatments, depending on the specifics of the treatment plan and insurance plan. Additional benefits may be provided by Medicare Advantage plans, so beneficiaries should check with Medicare to see what is covered.
When toenail fungal infections necessitate the use of prescription medications, Original Medicare Part D and stand-alone prescription drug plans may be able to assist cover part or all of the costs.
Does insurance cover toenail removal?
- The typical out-of-pocket cost for ingrown toenail treatment for those with health insurance is a 10% -50 percent copay or coinsurance. In most cases, ingrown toenail treatment is covered by health insurance.
- Ingrown toenail therapy at home costs less than $50 for those without health insurance, but can cost $200-$1,000 or more if a doctor visit and procedure to remove all or part of the toenail is required.
- An office procedure to remove a portion of the toenail with local anesthetic costs about $120 at Karas Urgent Care in Arkansas. Partial toenail removal costs $150 at Doctors on Demand in California. The surgery costs $200 at Affordable Foot Care in Texas. Excision of tissue around an ingrown toenail costs $329 at Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Nebraska, not counting the doctor’s fee, which might add several hundred dollars to the total. Costs can reach $1,000 or more in extreme cases or when a procedure is required on more than one toe.
- Ingrown toenails can be treated at home in mild cases by bathing the foot in warm water several times a day, thoroughly drying the foot, and carefully putting a new piece of waxed dental floss or small piece of cotton between the toe and the skin each day. Patients should take pain relievers over the counter and wear sandals or loose shoes. A doctor visit is usually required if the problem does not improve within a few days.
- A doctor can inspect the toe, determine if it is infected, and give medications if necessary. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians’ ingrown toenail guide, an antibiotic like Cephalexin is frequently prescribed four times a day for five to seven days.
- In severe circumstances, the doctor may perform surgery to remove a portion of the nail as well as some of the surrounding flesh. In circumstances where a patient’s ingrown toenails return, the doctor may opt to remove the entire toenail, which will regrow in a few months but may have a different appearance. The operation takes less than 15 minutes in a doctor’s office with local anaesthetic, and the patient may need to avoid sports or other vigorous activity for one to two weeks afterward.
- An overview of ingrown toenail treatment is available from the American Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
- To avoid repeated ingrown toenails, it is advisable to use a toenail clipper specialized for toes, which normally costs $3-$6, and trim toenails straight across.
- Uninsured/cash-paying patients can receive savings of up to 35 percent or more from hospitals and doctors. UC Health in Cincinnati, for example, gives a 40% discount.
- An ingrown toenail can be treated by a family doctor or a podiatrist. A doctor locator is available from the American Medical Association. A podiatrist locator is also available from the American Podiatric Medical Association.
- Depending on their area of practice, ensure sure the podiatrist is certified by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine or the American Board of Podiatric Surgery.
Do home lasers work on toenail fungus?
The laser machine, simply put, shines a laser beam light into the toenail. Thousands of laser pulses eliminate the fungus by penetrating into, around, under, and onto the toenail. The fungus’s structure is shattered by the laser beam’s energy, which kills it forever. The laser equipment has a focused wavelength that is exclusively interested in the fungus. As a result, the normal, healthy toenail sections and surrounding skin are unaffected by this laser light.
To be more technical, depending on the laser, there are a few different ways that laser light destroys fungus.
Photo-thermolysis is a technique used by most lasers to create mechanical or thermal (heat) damage. I prefer non-thermal laser therapy because it does not involve heat and is hence painless. Of course, depending on how much engineering you want to do, there’s more to it. But, in a nutshell, laser treatment for toenail fungus has been found to be therapeutically successful, has been proven in clinical trials, and is FDA-approved for the treatment of toenail fungus.
Does removing toenail get rid of fungus?
For severe or recurring fungal nail infections, surgical nail removal is an option. It is possible to remove the complete nail (avulsion) or merely a portion of the nail (debridement). A clinic or your doctor’s office can do surgical nail removal. To relieve pain, your doctor will inject it into your finger or toe.
Lunula Laser is a novel low-level laser therapy that offers new hope to patients suffering from onychomycosis, or nail fungus, which causes painful, discolored, and deformed toenails. Lunula Laser, unlike other treatments, promises no discomfort, no danger, and no downtime, and is the simple, practical approach to regain healthy, transparent nails.
The fungus that dwells in and under the toenail is killed by the Lunula Laser laser. The laser light goes through the nail and the surrounding skin without inflicting any damage. The Lunula Laser is safe and effective, with none of the risks or side effects associated with oral antifungal drugs. Furthermore, this simple in-office treatment takes only a few minutes to complete and requires no downtime. In fact, the damaged area can be treated in just four 12-minute sessions.
Stop suffering from the pain and humiliation of unsightly nail fungus and start enjoying clear, beautiful nails today.
Should I wear socks to bed with toenail fungus?
Athlete’s foot is probably the one thing your partner doesn’t want to discuss with you. When you have athlete’s foot, Dr. Bret Hintze of Foot & Ankle Reconstruction in Jasper and Woodstock, GA, discusses how your partner can stay fungus-free.
Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungus that is extremely contagious. It’s possible you picked it up when walking barefoot in a locker room or other public space. Fortunately, there are a few ways for your spouse to avoid spreading the fungus to you.
If you share a bed, try not to rub your foot against your partner’s. Wearing socks to bed can help prevent the fungus from spreading.
Even if you avoid physical touch, if you go around the home barefoot, your partner may acquire athlete’s foot. When you walk or stand on the floor, the fungus can attach itself to it. Your companion may return to bed with more than just a snack if he or she makes a midnight run to the refrigerator right after you. Wearing shoes or slippers to safeguard your partner and family is a simple way to do so.
Sheets, towels, washcloths, socks, slippers, and other objects can harbor the fungus. Bath mats, for example, should be washed frequently. To avoid cross contamination with other towels on the towel rack, wash towels and washcloths after each usage.
Shoes, slippers, towels, and other items that have come into contact with your feet should not be shared. When your partner realizes why you’re acting selfishly, he or she will probably appreciate it.
Make an appointment at our Jasper or Woodstock offices if over-the-counter medicines don’t help you get rid of athlete’s foot. If you have a stubborn case of athlete’s foot, we can prescribe stronger topical treatments that are more effective than drugstore alternatives, or we may recommend that you take an oral antifungal prescription.
Visit one of our offices to protect your companion from athlete’s foot. To make an appointment with podiatrist Dr. Hintze at Foot & Ankle Reconstruction in Jasper or Woodstock, GA, call (770) 999-0804.
How much does it cost to have your toenail removed?
The cost of ingrown toenail surgery varies based on the treatment employed. Partial and total nail avulsion are the two options available.
Partial Nail Avulsion – $420 Base Price
This surgery, as the name implies, removes a piece of your nail from the side on which it began growing into your skin. This is by far the most popular way for treating an ingrown toenail. It works well for most ingrown toenails and heals much faster than a complete nail avulsion. Before we start the process, we can use the Comfort-in Needle-free method to provide an anesthetic at no extra charge so that you don’t feel the injection. A partial nail avulsion is a relatively painless operation with a low complication rate. In the uncommon event that the ingrowing portion of the nail grows back, revision surgery is usually effective.
A partial nail avulsion costs $420 on average. This entails removing one of the toe’s troublesome sides. Both sides of the same toenail can be removed for an extra $70 if necessary. If a second toe is treated at the same time, an extra $170 will be charged for a single side of the second toe.
- On the same toe, both ingrowing sides of a toe nail are removed; $490 = $420 + $70
- On two toes, removal of a single ingrowing side of a toe nail; $420 + $170 = $590
- Removal of both sides of two ingrowing toes (4 sides total); $420 + $70 + $170 + $70 = $730
Full Nail Avulsion – $490 Base Price
Full nail avulsion can be used to remove the entire toenail, albeit it is less usual. It’s normally done when more serious issues, such as major nail deformity or skin overgrowth, have already developed. You’ll need to take it easy for a while and avoid hard activities. Full nail avulsion is rarely used because partial removals usually yield excellent results. Nonetheless, it’s a painless procedure with positive long-term results. Full nail avulsion costs $490 for a single toenail because it’s a more complicated process. It will cost an extra $190 per toe if you need this operation done on another toenail.
What kind of doctor removes toenails?
Toenail removal is a small surgical treatment in which the entire toenail or a section of the toenail that is infected, damaged, or extremely painful is removed. When previous, more conservative therapies have failed, those who have had trauma to a toenail, have an ingrown toenail, or have severe or recurring toenail fungus may resort to toenail removal.
If you have a difficult-to-treat fungal nail infection, or if you have diabetes or a compromised immune system, your podiatrist may recommend that you have the afflicted toenail removed to prevent the infection from spreading to other toenails or beyond your feet.
Partially removing a nail can also be done for diagnostic purposes, allowing your doctor to examine the nail bed and surrounding tissue more closely before deciding whether or not to perform a biopsy.
Toenail removal is a quick and painless operation that normally takes no more than 20 minutes. It can be done in your podiatrist’s office as an outpatient procedure. To begin, a local anesthetic will be injected into your toe to relieve pain. The entire nail or a piece of the nail may be removed during the treatment. Your doctor can also remove the nail matrix to prevent future infection by permanently stopping the nail from growing back. The matrix is a layer of cells at the nail’s root that creates keratin, the material that makes up the nail. After the nail is removed, a chemical can be administered to the cuticle area to prevent nail regrowth indefinitely. The wound will be treated with antibiotic ointment and a bandage after the surgery.
You’ll need to keep the wound clean and dry for the first few weeks after getting your toenail removed as it recovers. You’ll probably be wearing a bandage for around two weeks, and your movement will be limited throughout that period. It could take several months for your toenail to grow back fully. After the surgery, there are few side effects or difficulties. Pain, infection, and a nail that grows back with an irregular shape or appearance are the most typical side effects after toenail removal surgery.
Before you get your toenail removed, make sure you ask your doctor a lot of questions regarding the process so you know exactly what to expect. You might wish to ask your doctor the following questions concerning your toenail removal procedure:
- What should I expect in terms of pain following toenail removal surgery? What can I do if I’m in pain after a procedure?
A partial or complete toenail removal may provide relief if you have a painful ingrown toenail or a difficult-to-treat toenail fungus. Make an appointment with Dr. Lamour now to discuss your options.
Can I remove my own toenail?
If your toenail is damaged, you might feel tempted to pull it out yourself. However, while damaged toenails may fall out on their own, forcing the process is not recommended.
Attempting to remove a damaged toenail on your own could result in major complications that worsen the situation.
Toenails can be damaged for a variety of reasons, including trauma, fungal infection, and ingrown toenail problems.
In many circumstances, these issues can be resolved without the need to remove the nail. A doctor can diagnose the root of the problem and its entire scope, as well as assist you grasp all of your options.
Let’s look at why you shouldn’t try to remove a toenail yourself, as well as the approach a doctor will employ and what to expect afterward.