A comprehensive practical guide to all types of nail surgery, including some cosmetic procedures, this is a master-class for those wishing to perform nail surgery, with clear descriptions of each stage involved and of any complications and how to deal with them.

For more than 20 years, the three of us have experienced daily nail surgery. We thought that designing a tutorial book with a step-by-step approach would be of great value both for beginners and skilled dermatologic surgeons repelled by nail procedures. We composed this book not according to the pathology but to the site of the surgical procedure. Thus, the reader will encounter surgery of the nail bed, of the matrix, of the proximal nail fold, etc. The first chapters, crucial before any further reading, are devoted to the anatomy of the nail apparatus, the anesthetic procedures, and specific instrumentation.

One whole chapter covers all the prerequisites before embarking on surgery such as the preoperative consultation, the surgical field prep, the dressings, management of postoperative pain, etc. Each chapter is organized in the same way, following the same framework: a short overview of the area involved, the specific instrumentation, the most adequate type of anesthesia, the procedure itself—step by step— with corresponding illustrations (both high-resolution macrophotographs and schematic drawings), and then the handling of postoperative pain, postoperative care, potential complications, and their management. Each procedure is rated in three grades according to the difficulty of the surgical procedure. The same rating is applied to postoperative pain. This textbook is directed to demystify and dispel the fears and inhibitions of the physician and the skin surgeon facing surgical procedures of the nail apparatus.

Contents

Chapter 1 Surgical anatomy of the nail apparatus
Chapter 2 Instrumentation
Chapter 3 General considerations
Chapter 4 Anesthesia of the nail apparatus
Chapter 5 Surgery of the nail plate
Chapter 6 Surgery of the proximal nail fold
Chapter 7 Surgery of the nail bed
Chapter 8 Surgery of the lateral nail folds
Chapter 9 Surgery of the distal fold
Chapter 10 Surgery of the matrix
Chapter 11 Surgery of the whole nail unit
Chapter 12 Surgery of the bony phalanx
Chapter 13 Surgery of the distal interphalangeal joint
Chapter 14 Acute trauma of the nail unit
Chapter 15 Cosmetic nail surgery for congenital nail abnormalities