Job Discussion Forums

Tara2117 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 89 Location: Gunma, Japan

So, Google tells me that there are "no podiatrists in Japan." ...where would one go to have an ingrown toenail repaired? (When I was a kid, I had to see a podiatrist and have the sides of my left big toenail removed, and that part of the root killed so as to not grow back... pretty sure I now need the same treatment on the right one...) I guess you would consider it light surgery.

I live in Ota, Gunma, by the way.

Any help much appreeched!

bluetortilla · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 815 Location: Henan

You would go to the 'sekeigeka' (orthopedist). They know what they're doing in my experience. I've had a lot of foot/toe trouble from mountain hiking.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I had to have the same surgery done a number of times before my toenails stopped giving me trouble. In NZ it was done by a general practitioner though, not a podiatrist, and in Japan it was done by a geka (same as mentioned above) doctor- if you're not familiar with the kinds of doctors here the meaning of geka is "external medicine", the kanji is 外科. That doctor was actually an internal/external medicine specialist so about as close as you would get here to the GPs in NZ I suppose.

I hope they fix it in the one surgery for you- it's not a fun problem to have, and the surgery isn't fun either! For some reason with me they always had trouble completely numbing the area so I could feel most of it- I now know very well why pulling toenails out is an effective torture technique Sad

rxk22 · Joined: 19 May 2010 Posts: 1629

I've had a lot of trouble with ingrown toenails. I find it's easier to just cut it out myself. The ingrown surgery is amazingly painful, and I'm a bit of a Masochist. Just get a good pair of scissors and cut it out, it will hurt a whole lot less.

Edit: Had the same toenail killing surg too, did nothing. Man, I am sure unlucky.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Cut/pull a third of my own toenail off right down to the base and kill the nail bed with a chemical (like they did in the surgery) without even an attempt at anaesthesia? No thanks! Shocked

rxk22 · Joined: 19 May 2010 Posts: 1629

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

rxk22 · Joined: 19 May 2010 Posts: 1629

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I think I had both toes done twice in NZ and once in Japan, but relapsed each time. I have an idea that those times they didn't use the phenol (I think that's the chemical) to kill the nail bed, just took the section of toenail off.

Finally back in NZ (only about 6 months after having it done in Japan they were really bad again) my doctor did the surgery once more. I actually have tiny scars at the base of my toenails where they went right to the nail bed that time, and they did use the phenol- no more problems after that, although I do make sure I wear shoes with plenty of toe space- no pointy high heels for me! Not an issue for you, I'm sure Wink

I think it's worth finding a specialist of some kind and making sure they will use the phenol and not just yank bits of toenail off- that's the only thing that really seems to fix it.