Make short skin incision with a number 11 blade over the area of maximum tenderness. Incise only the skin with scalpel. Use a blunt instrument to evacuate pus from the pad to decrease the chance of severing the nerve or entering the tendon sheath. Pack gauze loosely into the wound to prevent skin closure. Apply a loose dressing, splint finger, and elevate hand above the heart.
Some incisions offer no additional benefit but have the potential for serious injury.
The felon should be incised in the area of maximum tenderness. Probing is not carried out proximally to avoid extension of infection into flexor sheath. A longitudinal incision in the midline is effective without serious iatrogenic complications that are observed with other traditionally recommended incisions. Lateral or transverse incisions frequently cause ischemia and anesthesia by injuring one or both neurovascular bundles. Fish-mouth incision can lead to an unstable painful fingertip.