Abscess, ingrown toenail or a cut: when to see a surgeon

Minor surgical procedures are short operations on the skin and the tissue under it. The general and plastic surgery price lists of Maja Hospital include, among others:

• incision (opening) and drainage of an abscess,
• ingrown toenail surgery, on one or both sides,
• stitching (suturing) a wound, by wound size,
• wound dressing, by dressing size,
• stitch removal,
• limited revision of a surgical wound,
• drainage of a haematoma (collected blood),
• removal of lipomas, cysts and small skin growths.

Most of these procedures are done under local anaesthetic. For larger or more complex procedures the general surgery price list also includes minor surgery under general anaesthetic.

Before the procedure the surgeon examines the area and explains what they will do. Tell them about allergies, especially to local anaesthetics, and about medicines you take, especially blood thinners. Do not stop any treatment on your own.

The area is cleaned and numbed with an injection. You feel the injection, and after a few minutes the area is numb. During the procedure you may feel touch or pressure, but not sharp pain. At the end the wound is dressed. After a short rest you usually go home, with instructions on wound care and a check-up appointment.

An abscess is a collection of pus under the skin, usually a red, warm, swollen and painful lump. Once pus has collected, medicines alone are usually not enough, so the surgeon opens the abscess with a small cut and drains the pus (incision). The wound is then dressed for a while so that it heals from the inside out. The doctor decides whether antibiotics are also needed.

Do not squeeze or pierce an abscess yourself. If spreading redness comes with fever or chills, or if the abscess is on the face, contact a doctor without delay.

An ingrown toenail most often affects the big toe, when the edge of the nail grows into the skin at the side. The area is red, swollen and painful, and sometimes becomes infected. For milder cases the doctor sometimes advises care and correct nail cutting. When the problem keeps coming back or there is inflammation, the ingrown part of the nail is usually removed under local anaesthetic. The doctor chooses the method after an examination.

The plastic and aesthetic surgery price list of Maja Hospital includes ingrown toenail surgery on one side and on both sides, under local anaesthetic. For a few days after the procedure it helps to keep the foot raised and to wear wide, comfortable shoes.

Smaller cuts and tears are usually stitched under local anaesthetic after the wound is cleaned. With an injury, also ask the doctor about tetanus protection. After stitching, the wound is dressed as instructed, and the doctor removes the stitches at the check-up when they consider the wound healed. The timing depends on the part of the body and the size of the wound.

Dressings and stitch removal are separate items in the price list, so they can be done even when the wound was stitched or operated on elsewhere, if the doctor considers it safe.

Do not wait for an appointment; call the emergency service on 194 or go to the nearest emergency department with a deep or heavily bleeding wound, an animal bite, a head or eye injury, or an injury after which you cannot move a finger or cannot feel it.

After minor surgery, in general:

• Keep the wound clean and dry and dress it as instructed.
• Agree with the doctor on when you can shower and bathe.
• Take painkillers as the doctor advises.
• Come to the check-up at the agreed time.

Contact the doctor earlier if redness spreads, the wound swells more, leaks pus or bleeds, pain gets worse or you develop a fever.