Welcome to the Podiatry Arena forums

You are currently viewing our podiatry forum as a guest which gives you limited access to view all podiatry discussions and access our other features. By joining our free global community of Podiatrists and other interested foot health care professionals you will have access to post podiatry topics (answer and ask questions), communicate privately with other members, upload content, view attachments, receive a weekly email update of new discussions, access other special features. Registered users do not get displayed the advertisements in posted messages. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our global Podiatry community today!

  1. Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
Dismiss Notice
Have you liked us on Facebook to get our updates? Please do. Click here for our Facebook page.
Dismiss Notice
Do you get the weekly newsletter that Podiatry Arena sends out to update everybody? If not, click here to organise this.

Gout and nail surgery??

Discussion in 'Foot Surgery' started by macci13, Apr 25, 2012.

Tags:
  1. macci13

    macci13 Member


    Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
    Just a query in regards to carrying out a TNA with LA and phenolisation of a man aged 40 with an acute episode of gout and cannot take allopurinol.
    He needs the procedure ASAP and we could be waiting months for the gout to die down.
    Has anyone had any experience of contraindications etc with this presenting complaint before we go ahead??

    Many thanks.
     
  2. drsarbes

    drsarbes Well-Known Member

    First; The acute attack should not last months.

    May I ask why the rush to perform a nail avulsion? Haven't heard of many emergency nail procedures.

    It's bad enough having an acute gout attack without adding insult to injury by performing a total nail procedure and phenolization.

    I'm assuming that the gout attack is in the 1st MTPJ and the offending nail is on the same toe.
    Correct?


    If he is having an acute gouty attack I would treat with Indocin along with a Post. Tibial N. block using 2% xylocaine/plain. The vasodillatory effect of the xylocaine will help clear the acute flare-up fairly quickly.

    Once he's feeling better go ahead and do the nail. It will still be there in 10 days.

    Steve
     
  3. macci13

    macci13 Member

    Many thanks for your interest,
    Ok so a little more about the patient..
    He is seen regularly by his gp regarding the gout in both 1st mpj's as he can only take certain medications when the flare arises only, and is sometimes non compliant hence the extended flares. So if we assume his gp is treating the gout and I am treating the igtn.

    He presented with a very deep, very painful involuted first nail which he's been hacking away at for sometime and has left a very large spicule ( largest and deepest I have seen!) deep in the sulcus arising from near matrix, hence any attempts of conservative treatment is both difficult to remove and extremely painful.

    Unfortunately due to policy and lack of PGD's the procedure will be digital block using mepivicaine.

    The reason for posting was to find out whether anyone had any known reactions worth acute gouty flares and LA or Phenol or increased risk of infection with this presentation.

    Thanks
     
  4. toughspiders

    toughspiders Active Member

    How about removing a section of nail under LA without phenolisation. Gives you a few months breathing space. Come back and do Nail surgery later?

    I would imagine having Gout and an ingrowing nail together not being a pleasant experience
     
  5. drsarbes

    drsarbes Well-Known Member

    Hi Mac
    I'm still a bit confused re: the acute gout. Any local with vasodillatory effect will also resolve the Acute gout (if that is what it is) - just give him a PT block along with the digital.
    I totally agree with Toughspiders (a.k.a....??) why not wait to perform the phenol procedure, just do a simple I&D and call it a day.

    As far as aggravating the acute gout with another procedure: patients with gout will, of course, be prone to an acute flareup after a trauma (such as surgery) although I would not think a simple nail procedure would be invasive enough to cause this.

    If he is already having an acute attack then it's a moot point isn't it.

    Steve
     
  6. annelwtc

    annelwtc Welcome New Poster

    Acute inflammation in the area may undermine the effectiveness of LA, but assuming anaesthesia is achieved using digital block, electrosurgical ablation of the matrix is one solution. This avoids having to repeat the procedure, results in a faster healing time with no need to use phenol.
     
  7. jbfootdoc

    jbfootdoc Welcome New Poster

    Just wondering if you can substantiate your statement " acute inflammation may undermine the effectiveness of LA "??

    I had a patient that asked me to perform a nail matrixectomy and didn't disclose to me that they had a history of gout. I did a local anesthetic block to their great toe and performed the matrixectomy using phenol & alcohol. Unfortunately the toe developed complications and a number of issues resulted including constant pain and delayed healing.

    At the time of the procedure, the patient didn't express to me that they were having a lot of burning pain to the toe. In fact, later they said that the ordinary q-tips I was using to dry the exposed nail border was in fact very painful and later went on to say that I caused the burning pain because it was caused using phenol. To compound matters, they later said the toes were over-phenolized and caused all the post-op complications.

    Does presence of gout reduce effectiveness of LA? Any proof in literature?
     
Loading...

Share This Page