Toenail fungus is one of the most common alignments in which podiatrist Los Angeles attend to. It affects about 11% of people in North America. Fungus is a living organism that manifest in dark damp environments for example under and around nails. Toes are more susceptible to fungus because they are in a darker and damper environment. More severe cases of fungus give the nail a yellow or brownish discoloration. Nails become thicker, brittle or shed over time. The effects of toe nail fungus can be painful and embarrassing. Leading foot doctor say because the nail acts as a protective cover the fungus continues to grow only becoming worse when proper action is not taken to cure the fungus.
In the past the only ways to cure toenail fungus involved oral medications, sprays and creams that unfortunately take very long to see results or have no results. Currently there is treatment proven to help cure toenail fungus that is better than sprays and creams but not as drastic as foot surgery.
The unique laser procedure is a revolutionary breakthrough in treating the nail fungus; it does not cause injury or harm normal tissue and skin. The cool touch laser is a breakthrough in treating thick toenail fungal infections that are involved in 20% of the population. The laser does not cause cuts or burns and thus has the advantage of patients being treated without reported pain. There is only some mild tolerable warming of the nail which most patients do not feel or complain of.
The studies which have been done are extremely encouraging, and to date, no known side effects have been found. Long-term effects seem just as promising. Coupled with good hygiene of the toes, and follow up treatment with a topical cream such as FORMULA 3 NAIL FUNGUS SOLUTION, the patient should experience good, long-term result in the elimination of the toe nail fungus. This treatment prevents the cost and risk associated with oral medications which can be toxic to the liver and cause undesirable side effects.
This procedure surpasses those of the more dangerous medications with an effective success rate between 88-89% in clinical studies showing the fungus to be destroyed, safely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the laser work?
The laser is a specially designed, patented device that shines through your toenail and vaporizes the fungus embedded in your nail bed and nail plate that causes toenail fungus. The laser is tuned to a frequency that affects only those cells responsible for the nail infection. This treatment is brand new to the United States and is available at less than 100 doctor’s offices nationwide given this recent breakthrough. See video for more details.
Is this laser treatment painful?
The laser light beam has no effect on healthy tissue. Patients should experience no discomfort during or after the treatment.
Pts will experience some warming of the nail which will not be painful or cause any discomfort. The patient will also sometimes experience a spray of cooling agent which will cool any discomfort immediately.
How long does the treatment take?
It takes approximately 25 minutes to treat all toes. We recommend treatment of all toes to eradicate toenails which have yet to manifest clinical signs of disease. We feel this will help prevent recurrence as well if some fungal cells are not treated which are in other nails yet to show the clinical manifestations of disease. The vast majority of our patients need 1 or 2 treatments and this is dependent upon length of time patient has had the infection and the severity in which the nail is involved for totally involved thick nails the recommendation is 3 treatments to fully eradicate the fungus.
It takes approximately 10 minutes to treat a big toe. Naturally, if you have more than one toe infected, it may take a little longer. The vast majority of our patients require only one or 2 treatments.
Does it really work?
Our clinical studies to date reveal that over 88% of treated patients show significant improvement. In most cases the nail fungus pathogen is completely eliminated.
How soon will I see improvement?
On average, a toenail will replace itself every 6 to 9 months. Healthy new growth will be visible within the first 3 months. However, follow up treatment with FORMULA 3 SOLUTION has shown an increase of up to 100% in the speed of healthy nail replacement.
Is this treatment safe?
Yes. In our clinical studies there have been no adverse reactions, injuries, disabilities or known side effects. As you may know, the use of medication available today for treatment of fungus nails carries with it possible systemic involvement (commonly the liver and kidney). This laser treatment DOES NOT have these systemic side-effects and there IS NO RISK of any severe life threatening allergic reactions (known as Steven-Johnson syndrome). When comparing the risks associated with Oral Medications and the cost of having labs drawn every 30 days and the costs associated with follow up visits and medication costs this treatment far outweighs the risks/costs associated with Oral Antifungal remedies which also are only 60-70% effective and also carry a 25% recurrence risk. With Laser treatment the fungus is killed immediately with exposure thereby immediately reducing the fungal load and preventing undesired recurrence risk.
Do I have to take any drugs as part of the treatment?
No. No drugs or topical ointments are required. Some doctors may prescribe topical or oral medication in conjunction with treatment depending on your situation and their diagnosis. We do recommend ongoing treatment to prevent recurrence of disease to the nail in the future. Future treatments involve treating your environment (SHOES/FLOORS/SKIN ATHLETES FOOT). We recommend STERISHOE to sterilize the inside of your shoes to prevent recurrence to both the skin and the nails.
Can I walk after the treatment?
Yes, you will be able to walk out of the office just as well as you walked in. The treatment does not harm you in any way. There is no pain and you can resume all activities. We do not recommend some nail salons due to the use of toxic nail polishes as well as cross contamination and risk of getting re-infected with fungus. If you wish to have your nails polished or manicured we recommend having your own instruments and we will gladly AUTOCLAVE THEM making them FUNGUS / BACTERIA FREE. This is the same process which we use for our surgical instruments. This service is free to any patient who has had LASER NAIL TREATMENT WITH OUR OFFICE.
Does my insurance pay for this?
Currently this procedure is not included as a health insurance benefit; however, the initial foot consultation is free if you do not have insurance or have insurance with a high deductible and/or no coverage for office visits. Insurance plans consider this procedure a cosmetic or aesthetic procedure and therefore do not provide coverage. If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA), Medical Individual Retirement Account (Medical IRA) or other Flexible Medical Spending Accounts (Medical FSA), you can pay for the procedure with these funds. Otherwise, payment can be made with cash, credit or debit card.
