Toenail surgery is a minor procedure to remove all of or part of a problematic toenail. Local anaesthetic is most commonly used to numb the affected toe or toes. In most cases, once the troublesome toenail (or section of nail) has been removed, a chemical called phenol is applied to the exposed nail bed. This is applied to stop the toenail (or section of nail) growing back again to prevent further problems. Sometimes more than one toenail might be operated on during the same procedure.