Hi,

The dermatologist will examine your toe nail. If they think it's needs a sample taking for biopsy it will depend on what type of sample they need and if they can do it there and then - some can be done at the appointment time permitting whilst some have to be done in an operating theatre as a day patient (it only takes about 15 minutes but you wait a while before & after if a local anaesthetic is required). Not all biopsy samples require a complete removal of the nail and it's unlikely it would be done there and then - it's more likely that an appointment will be made for you to return for the biopsy - the dermatologist would explain all this at your initial appointment. Biopsy result waiting times vary between hospital trusts due to manpower and workload - it could be anything between 2 and 6 weeks,- again, this will be explained at your appointment if a biopsy is felt necessary.

Try not to panic - subungal melanoma is uncommon so the odds yours is OK are high. Your GP has been on the ball referring you - not because she thinks it's something serious but under the NICE guidelines she should refer you if she is unsure what the problem is. As GPs rarely see black spots or lines appearing under patient's nails she has sent you to an expert - hopefully it's found to be an infection or trauma related. Good luck and please let us know how you get on,

Angie