My big toe nail has been fungus-infected and grown misshapen for years and I can no longer trim it, and today I bumped it into something and half of it came out. So I am pretty sure it needs to be surgically removed. Has anyone had this experience? I'm wondering what kind of doctor I should go to, a general surgeon or a podiatrist, or? And if someone can recommend a specific doctor.

Thank you.

While it is advantageous to have this treated by a podiatrist, they are extremely rare in Thailand.  In fact I only know of the following:

 

Samitivej Sri Racha:

https://www.samitivejhospitals.com/en/doctors/cherdpong-hansasuta/

 

(As he is there only one day a week he must be somewhere else the rest of the time but I have been unable to determine where..if anyone knows, please advise! Used to be at Bangkok Hospital but left there.

 

Theptarin Hopsital in Bangkok:.

http://www.theptarin.com/en/foot-clinic/

 

If you do not live near either Bangkok or Sri Racha, you'll need to make do with a genera surgeon or otho surgeon.

Dear Sheryl,

 

Thank you for that. I'm not sure where to begin to choose the right general surgeon for this. Would you have advice on this?

 

 

Get a biopsy....or at least identify what the problem is.

1 hour ago, peterdwje2 said:

Dear Sheryl,

 

Thank you for that. I'm not sure where to begin to choose the right general surgeon for this. Would you have advice on this?

 

 

Where do you live?

Go to a chemist like I did with a Similar incident
Ask for the strongest antibiotics they have to kill the infection first because that's exactly what your doctor will do

I stubbed my big toe about six weeks ago and it became infected under the nail, the doctor (Chiang Mai RAM Hospital ER) said that the infection would be more difficult to clear with the nail in place so he injected a local anaesthetic and removed it in under one minute - it was all very painless and simple, six weeks on the toe looks ugly but is otherwise healthy. Total cost, including daily dressings for five days, 3,500 baht.

Edited January 30, 20179 yr by chiang mai

36 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Where do you live?

I am in Bangkok. I checked out the link to Theptarin that you sent but could not find any specific foot doctors. Is this the kind of thing that I can trust a non-specialist surgeon to handle properly? And if you can recommend such a person, I'd be grateful.

1 hour ago, peterdwje2 said:

I am in Bangkok. I checked out the link to Theptarin that you sent but could not find any specific foot doctors. Is this the kind of thing that I can trust a non-specialist surgeon to handle properly? And if you can recommend such a person, I'd be grateful.

Just go to one of the better hospitals in Bangkok and tell them the problem and see what happens

1 hour ago, peterdwje2 said:

I am in Bangkok. I checked out the link to Theptarin that you sent but could not find any specific foot doctors. Is this the kind of thing that I can trust a non-specialist surgeon to handle properly? And if you can recommend such a person, I'd be grateful.

We're talking toenail removal, not thoracic surgery, almost any ER doctor can take care of the problem very easily.

4 hours ago, peterdwje2 said:

I am in Bangkok. I checked out the link to Theptarin that you sent but could not find any specific foot doctors. Is this the kind of thing that I can trust a non-specialist surgeon to handle properly? And if you can recommend such a person, I'd be grateful.

 

The Theptarin website does not list doctors (limk doesn't work, at least not in the English version) but they have them, they have a dedicated foot clinic. I suggest you just call and make appointment at the foot clinic. If possible have a Thai speaker make the call, will help.

21 hours ago, zorro1 said:

Go to a chemist like I did with a Similar incident
Ask for the strongest antibiotics they have to kill the infection first because that's exactly what your doctor will do

Antibiotics for a fungal infection?? Really? likely to make it worse if anything.......perhaps the OP sure consult a doctor rather than rely on the TV "experts"

As we only have the OP's word it is a fungal infection, I would have thought the first thing to do is see a doctor who can identify EXACTLY what the problem is - there are several possibilities even beyond fungal or bacterial.......

1 minute ago, Alan Deer said:

Antibiotics for a fungal infection?? Really? likely to make it worse if anything.......perhaps the OP sure consult a doctor rather than rely on the TV "experts"

Yes. My podiatrist says that in her opinion the best antifungal preparations are made from tea tree oil. Boots may have some, but you need the pure tea tree product not some concoction that includes it

7 minutes ago, SaintLouisBlues said:

Yes. My podiatrist says that in her opinion the best antifungal preparations are made from tea tree oil. Boots may have some, but you need the pure tea tree product not some concoction that includes it

get a second opinion

OK, I am not a doctor, but I have read... and tried... and have had great success with apple cider vinegar (non filtered). I had a toe nail with all the fungus symptoms my whole life. Soak the foot in 50% vinegar/50% water every day for 2 weeks. And amazing! The nail is growing clear and like new. Before you spend a lot of money on doctors, just try it. No harm done.

 

 

Plain vinegar will work just as well. It is the acidity that helps. Funguses do not grow well in acidic environments.

Often takes a lot longer than 2 weeks though. And type of shoe is important as closed toe shoes will hinder healing, the toe needs to stay dry and open to air.

Of course in OP case there is more to the story as the nail has broken off from the nail bed.

Frequent/poorly healing fungal infections can be an indication of diabetes so important to exclude this if blood sugars (fasting glucose or Hb1Ac) have not been measured in say the past year.

I use Vicks nasal gel on my infected toenail it killed the fungus.