Although toenail fungus is a common problem for most adults, if left untreated the only available toenail fungus treatment  for a chronic sufferer may be permanent nail ablation: surgery. Toenail fungus surgery takes less than an hour and involves little pain. The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic without a hospital stay but recovery time is fairly long at two to three weeks. The procedure involves removing the entire nail plate and destroying the infection beneath it. In order to prevent the infection from returning when the nail grows back, the nail matrix must also be destroyed. This is done using chemicals in a procedure called a matrixectomy. The chemicals permanently destroy the ability for the nail to grow back thus permanently preventing reinfection by fungus. The surgery alone however is not enough and should always be coupled with either topical toenail fungus treatments or oral medications. Surgery is the last resort and is not a decision to be made lightly.