Lacuna Method Fungal Nail Treatment
How do I know I have fungal nails?
You may have noticed changes in the texture, quality, and color of your nails. Sometimes it is noticed after nail varnish or gels have been removed. Typical first signs are a yellowing or brown discoloration, nails may become thick, crumbly, or brittle. Nails can become distorted, misshapen, and may lift from the nail bed losing their healthy shine.
How can Lacuna Method help me?
Fungal Nail Infection (Onychomycosis) Is the most difficult of the superficial fungal infections to treat, as most topical agents are ineffective at penetrating the nail plate to reach the active infection on the nail bed (the skin under the nail). By making micro holes in the nail plate with innovative and specially designed micro burrs, your foot specialist can enable you to apply an anti-fungal agent, such as Lamisil Spray directly to the infected nail bed. Which will spread under the nail as you walk. With daily application of the antifungal agent, the fungus is stopped from spreading and the damaged nail grows out. As the nail is dead you cannot feel the holes being made.
How does the Lacuna Method work?
The Lacuna Method treatment for fungal nails works by painlessly drilling many tiny micro-holes (fenestration) in the infected nail plate through to the skin under the nail (the nail bed). Following the first part of the treatment where the nails are micro drilled, the nails are then treated with Terbinafine spray which is able to get through these holes directly to the source of infection – the infected nail bed. With daily application at home of the anti-fungal agent, the infection in the nail bed is cleared and the damaged nail grows out. (NB: Without delivery of a fungicidal agent to the source of the infection, clearance of the infection is highly unlikely).
The Lacuna method has shown to be a very effective way of eradicating fungal nail infections in recent studies and is often the preferred treatment of choice, when topical applications have not worked effectively or where taking a prescribed Terbinafine tablet is not indicated to the patient.
This method is discussed with the patient as a treatment option following a detailed assessment /consultation, to ascertain its suitability for each individual patient.
This treatment is not suitable for everyone – we would like to make you aware of the following:
There are some contra-indications that will be discussed in your initial assessment along with identifying whether the infection is in fact fungal.
Making holes in the nail although usually painless is not considered painless by everyone. Most patients liken it to having their eyebrows plucked. Any discomfort is short-lived.
There is sometimes bleeding from beneath the nail, where some of the holes are made. This is to be expected and a dressing will be applied if required. Treatment with the fungicidal spray can still be started but there may be some stinging on the first few applications.
This is not a short treatment – there is no quick fix for fungal nail infections. You need to commit to applying the spray daily for at least 6 months, or the treatment is likely to fail.
You will need to return to have your affected nails trimmed approximately every 6 weeks during the treatment to have the holes re-drilled and further holes drilled as necessary (as the nail grows) and to check the progress in general.
No nail varnish may be worn during the duration of the treatment.Please note, we’d like to make you aware that Lamisil spray is a treatment for fungal infection of the skin, not the nail. Using it for the nail is deemed as ‘off-license’. There have however been several clinical trials using Lamisil this way with good results and by drilling through the nail, the treatment is actually reaching the skin in the nail bed, which is the source of the infection, so by treating the source whilst the nail grows out the infection is cleared.
Any fungal infection of the skin will also need to be treated.Further advice regarding reducing the chance of re-infection will need to be followed.
Lacuna Method Treatment Costs
Assessment appointment: GAP Free if covered for podiatry or $50 discounted appointment if not covered by insurance
(Assess the nails and infection, discuss the treatment in detail, its implications, and any contra-indications.)
Test for dermatophytes $50
The course of Lacuna Treatment (4 x $200 Lacuna Treatment appointments at approximately 6 weekly intervals at $200 per appointment) - discounted package for 4 appointments (6 weeks apart) of the Lacuna Method treatment for $750.