Toe Nail Avulsion... Nail removed, now gauze stuck to Nail pulp... Help!!

Update: Today on day 6 since toe nail removal the stuck gauze got detached on its own. I soaked my feet in warm betadine water and with a very little painless pull the gauze got detached. The nail pulp looks much better and reddish pink in colour. It is healing very well. Thanks.

 

Same problem for me. Had toenail removed 4 days ago and have been soaking foot for 3-5 hours a day. Most of the bandage soaked off by the second day but a bright pink bandaid seems to be permanently stuck where the nail used to be. I've tried easing it off but I get nauseated from the pain. At this point if it doesn't fall of on it's own it will just have to stay a part of my foot. If it's still there on my follow up visit to the podiatrist they had better not try to pull it off or I'll punch their lights out.

 

I had the same problem, fortunately I had a follow up with the Dr the following day they suggested putting a later of vasaline onto the gauze before applying it on the toe - WORKED a treat!

 

I had my big toenail removed yesterday due to a fungus, and when I took the bandage off this morning the gauze was stuck like glue to the nail bed! Here's what I did to get it off:

1. Trim gauze that might be sticking up from toe but leave enough to serve as a "handle" for gentle upward pulling & twisting of gauze.

2. Prepare soak solution of 2 quarts warm water to which you mix in 8 tablespoons Epson salt (this was per my doctor--yours might give different instructions). Soak foot, being sure to swish the toe around frequently to aid in loosening up the gauze. Be sure to take foot out occasionally & gently pull & tug on gauze strip "handle" to loosen it. This resulted in considerable lifting of the gauze, but a part of it was still stuck hard. I also changed the water a few times to keep it fresh.

3. Get frustrated/worried & call your podiatrist's office! Nurse told me to continue to soak, but also to pull foot from water & add some Neosporin around the gauze & nail bed to grease it up a bit. Did that, pulled gently on gauze some more, then swished foot in water. Nurse also told me to put some hydrogen peroxide on gauze/nail bed. Please know that I've heard that some doctors say DO NOT APPLY hydrogen peroxide to your nail bed ( because it could kill the skin?), but since the nurse suggested it, I did. I put some on a Q-tip & applied it on the stuck area. I let it sit for a minute, then swished it in water, then brought it out and poured a teaspoon or so of the hydrogen peroxide on the stuck gauze area. Let it sit briefly, then swished in water again.

4. Next I took foot out of water & grasped gauze "handle" & twisted it into a thinnish line & gently pulled & tugged in several directions. Prettty soon all the gauze finally slipped out easily! Then I dried the toe/foot & applied Neosporin on the nail bed & put a bandaid on it, per my doctor's instructions.

All said, the process took 1 hour, 45 minutes. Tedious, but it worked. I hope this helps someone out there. Be patient & hang in there! Now I just hope it grows out fine!

 

Thank you!!!!

I had my toe nail removed on Monday and when I took the bandage off the gauze was stuck. I tried for several days to remove but it hurt so bad. On Wednesday night I finally soaked my foot (Epsom salt bath) for 3 hours changing the water swishing my foot around. Then taking tweezers and pulling the strings to loosen up. I then would put triple antibiotic ointment around to keep the gauze from stick on the parts that broke free. I was so frustrated after 3 hours that I tried one more thing. My toe stung really bad from the wound but blowing on my toe gave me enough relief to keep pulling. I was finally able to free the gauze by your directions above and blowing on my toe to stop the stinging feeling.

My toe is tender now but at least it's on the road to recovery. Thank god for the internet and people helping each other out!

 

I had a large toenail removed Monday. And it would not stop bleeding. Then I had 8 layers of gauze that had dry blood in them. They were all stuck to my toe. Someone said to use olive oil to take the bandage off to pour it on and in the bandage. So a half hour before I took it off I took a hydrocodone for the pain. I got a loose place on the bandage and poured the oil in it. I slowly started moving the bandage back and keeping olive oil on it and my toe. Removed it with no pain at all.

 

Omg I love you! The olive oil did the trick!! I've been crying out and so upset trying to get the gauze out and I felt crazy asking my husband to bring me the olive oil, but wow it worked! Such relief!!!

 

THIS COULD SAVE YOU FROM PAIN/INFECTION!!!

1. IF YOU HAVEN'T YET HAD THE PROCEDURE, ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT A SPECIAL NON-STICK GAUZE (they make one that already has VASELINE on it and it peels RIGHT OFF so you can prevent the sticking in the first place)!

2. IF IT'S STUCK RIGHT NOW, SOAK IN COOL SALINE WATER - IT WORKS SO MUCH BETTER THAN REGULAR WATER (I soaked in regular water for a total of 6 hours but after 20 minutes in saline water it loosened so much)!

3. USE MUPIRICIN, NEOSPORIN, OR BACITRACIN. I know it's hard to apply to the flesh but it is important!

4. DO NOT LEAVE THE GAUZE ON. IT GREATLY INCREASES RISK OF INFECTION. See a doctor if you really can't do it yourself!

I had my entire toenail removed the other day and the gauze was stuck in my flesh for more than 48 hours.

My doctor told me to remove the initial dressing after 24 hours and warned me that it might be "slightly stuck" and to soak it to help it loosen up. I soaked my foot in warm water for 30-40 mins at a time, sometimes gently pulling on the gauze (VERY painful). In between the soaks, I applied LOTS of mupiricin (antibacterial ointment) and pulled some more.

48 hours after my toenail had been removed I had barely made any progress with removing the gauze and could no longer tolerate the pain of the pulling (I have a very high pain tolerance usually but this was unbearable). I was also stressed that even if I could tolerate the pain, I would tear off another layer of flesh with the gauze. I seriously considered going to the ER and begging for numbing shots in my foot (the shots I got before getting my toenail removed barely bothered me).

I ended up going to a PM Pediatrics (I'm 16 years old) and it was quite seriously one of the best decisions I've ever made. The doctor had me soak my foot in COOL SALINE WATER for 20 mins. Apparently this reduces inflammation and allows the flesh to separate from the gauze. Using tweezers, the doctor pulled the gauze off in one move. It hurt a good deal but I was SO relieved to have it off (LEAVING IT ON CAN CAUSE INFECTION). He globbed it up with mupiricin and it's been healing since then (yesterday). He also showed me a special dressing infused with Vaseline that is non-stick and can go under layers of gauze...if you haven't yet had the procedure, ask your doctor about this to prevent the sticking!!

GOOD LUCK!!

 

Nail removed, now gauze stuck to Nail
Olive oil is the key to remove the gauze
I went through what everybody experience and it hurt like hell those injections. I hate the doctor because he gave me 15 shots. I felt like I was getting rabies shots.He show no mercy when he stuck me with those needles, he pull off 3 toe nails.I had 5 days with alot pain.And it took me 2 days to pull the gauze off . I was suffering with that gauze still stuck in my toe and I was not getting better. I soak in Epsom salt, warm water for 3 hours and the salt sting my open wound.It still didn't do the job.So I stop the water cause the wound was not healing while it was keeping the wound wet all the time.I was so desperate and mad and crying cause it hurt so bad.I use twister to pull the thread and at times it didn't work and I end up pulling more thread of the gauze and I scream bloody murder. So when I was browsing in the computer for another way to remove the gauze.This lady from the forum said, use olive oil and soak the gauze.I soak the gauze with olive oil for 2 days and even slept with drench oil and cover with a bandage. I did it for 2 days and then I started to pull the thread and move the gauze around sideways to sideways.Not from top to bottom or from bottom to top.It has to be sideways and wiggle it around and press the gauze with olive oil.While you are pulling the thread out have a bottle of olive oil and reapply over and over while you are pulling the thread. Until finally it started to release the gauze.Get the tweezers and start pulling 1 thread at a time. Mine loosen up and it pull away from the skin after 1 hour of working with the gauze and that was because I was taking breaks. I was so happy and cry because it was finally release. I didn't had to go through the pain anymore..Make sure all the thread is remove from the wound and wash with antiseptic solution apply mupiricin.Change the dressing everyday until the red blood heals
What I did was I apply Vaseline on the bandage lots of it and apply mupiricin on the wound then cover up..The reason I did it, was so the bandage wouldn't stick to the wound and it worked. Now the road to recovery...
Olive oil is the key to remove the gauze it worked for me..thank you for that lady who said, the olive oil will remove the gauze.it worked for me.. I will upload a picture soon...

 

yes , it did work for me and I was so happy. But I know how you feel..stupid doctor they should be more educated in gauze..

 

Vaseline! Vaseline! Vaseline! So i had exact same experience, had two toenails removed yesterday. When time to remove gauze, one slid right off, the other was stick in dried blood and wouldn't budge without major pain. I'm not good handling pain at all, I tried all things in this post, soaking in warm salt water for over 4 hours, tried soaking in olive oil, soaking in Neosporin, all with no luck! I hesitantly called doc office to schedule to go back in and let him rip it off even though i was terrified of idea of more pain! Anyways the office manager suggested I put a huge glob of Vaseline, wait 30 min and try to remove and if that didn't work the doc would see me later in day. Lo and behold, it worked! I was doubtful because I had tried Neosporin amd thought it was simular to Vaseline but for some reason unknown to me, Vaseline for 30 min did trick when Neosporin nor olive oil did. I was able to pull off gauze easily with tweezers and was pleasantly shocked there was no pain!! VASELINE!!

 

Just had left big toenail removed...
Gauze sticking to nailbed.
Got this advice and it’s helping...

Take a water bottle and poke a small hole on the lid. Will create pressurized water. Now, squirt water on to the part of gauze you are trying to remove. Slowly peel away gauze. Still painful as hell, but it’s coming off more and more each go around!

Hope this helps!

 

I had an avulsion as well. The gauze they use is ridiculous. Of course it is sticking to the wound. After 24 hours of trying (and nauseous pain) was told by dr. to soak it. I did for 1.5 hours. Nothing! He said soak in soapy warm water. Did that for 45 minutes nothing. Was going to have my husband just rip it off but chickened out. Then i read this post about Vaseline. I didn't have any so I tried aquaphor which is petroleum based. Gobbed it on and covered it. 30 minutes later it was off with no pain! Stupid dr!

 

4th time i have had surgery on the same toe...i believe it is possessed...third time complete nail removed..with chemical applied after to nail base...done in ER...was done sat...( today is Tues) was told by dr who did it to return to ER to have dressing replaced..(first time this has happened) went ..but was over crowded decided i can do thi ...sure enough the entire nail bed is stuck fast with gauze...i got to the last layer and it is stuck fast..my toe is painful..it is red raw flesh..i have soaked last night for over 3 hrs..emptying and refreshing water to keep warm..to no avail...i had to give up and cover with ointment and new gauze for the night..the nausea and pain were too much i was not handling this well...this morning 630 am start over soaking foot..when i came upon this site...thankyou to all who posted...(this may be getting a little ahead of myself) i have advised husband to stop at store on way home and pick up vaseline..i will not stress all day..i will re wrap with ointment and cover until later this evening when he gets home...and will attempt the application of vaseline to wound....sure hope what you all posted works for me too..otherwise this big piece of gauze will be a permanent piece of my anatomy...

 

ok everyone I am in the same boat!!!! It’s killing me. I will try olive pike or Vaseline and will let you guys know. Why do they put gauze on an open would like this??

 

This is my third go-round with toenail avulsions. The gauze each time becomes terribly stuck to the wound. One time I spent two hours gently lifting and pulling while soaking in Epsom salt water.

The podiatrist had said I could remove my bandage last night instead of today, since I struggled so badly last time. But when I did my toe started bleeding too much, so I had to compress it again and get the bandage dry with a hair dryer. At least, I had pulled off the tape and most of the bandage. I gobbed it all full of antibiotic ointment and waited till 24 hours from the procedure.

I trimmed what was left of the gauze as much as possible then tediously pulled strands of the gauze out individually. It's a terrible way to go, but at least each individual tug caused a manageable amount of pain, instead of a full lift-off, which I could not bear. I have a handful of threads stuck, but hopefully taking a shower will help to dislodge them.

Yikes, what a miserable procedure and aftermath!