Wart removal is a requested procedure in modern clinics. Its essence is to extract abnormal cells from healthy tissues. The methods of removing warts are varied and the choice depends on several factors at the same time: the size of the neoplasm, the location, the number of growths, the personal preferences of the doctor and the patient.
Today, the following methods of removing warts are the most popular:
- To be;
- Radio wave;
- Elimination with liquid nitrogen;
- Electrocoagulation;
- Traditional surgery.
The use of either method to remove warts (cryodestruction, electrocoagulation, laser exposure, surgical excision) depends on the size of the formation and the personal preferences of the patient.
All methods, except surgical, do not require special training. Blood tests are required to detect coagulability, infections, etc. only before wart removal with a scalpel.
Laser wart removal
Laser removal is the most popular way to get rid of skin growths. Its advantage is speed, absence of scars, minimal risk of infection and other complications. The method is suitable for removing small warts, although it is also applicable for large neoplasms. For example, it is difficult to do without a laser when you need to remove a wart on the face or other open area of the body. Healthy tissues are not affected by laser wart destruction. No incisions are made in the skin, the method is completely non-contact.
The laser beam gently cauterizes the blood vessels surrounding the wart. The bacteria die during the procedure. Recovery takes no more than a week. Swelling, bleeding, infection, and other complications are excluded. Warts that remain after tissue removal, if necessary, can be sent for histology, as they are not completely destroyed.
The procedure is simple, it is possible to use anesthesia. The patient is placed on a stretcher and the laser head is directed at the wart. After that, a beam is launched, evaporating part of the neoplasm tissue in a fraction of a second. After a few seconds of such exposure, the procedure is over, but if the wart is very large, it must be removed in several steps. This is the main drawback: if a course of procedures is necessary, the patient spends a lot of personal time and pays for several sessions.
Wart removal using the radio wave method.
This is the gentlest technique and is also best suited for small warts. High-frequency waves allow you to remove pathological tissues, literally evaporating them, which makes this method similar to laser destruction. The trace that remains on the skin is practically invisible, so the use of radio waves is possible even on the face.
Also, the advantages of this method include:
- Painless;
- Quick recovery;
- A minimum of complications and side effects;
- Elimination of bacteria during the procedure;
- No need for complicated care;
- Possibility of histological analysis.
The downside is that for especially large warts, radio wave surgery is not suitable.
Removal of warts with liquid nitrogen.
Cryodestruction is a contact method for wart removal. Its advantages lie in the low price, the speed of the procedure and a good result. The method is suitable for removal in any area of the body, but it is rarely used when working with a face; small traces may be made. On the negative side: painful sensations are sometimes observed during and after the procedure.
The liquid nitrogen removal process is straightforward. The patient is placed or sits on a gurney in the operating room, the place of exposure is treated with an antiseptic. The doctor dips a cotton swab or a special instrument into liquid nitrogen. Its temperature is less than -195, 75 ° C. After that, the doctor brings the wand to the wart and touches it. Tissues quickly freeze and collapse: cells break down due to the expansion of frozen water. Tissue debris is removed, the wound is treated.
Electrocoagulation of warts
This method is also suitable for most areas of the body, including the face. Before the operation, it is imperative to use local anesthesia and treat the skin with an antiseptic. The extraction is done using an electrocoagulator, a special device that heats the tissue with a high-frequency electrical current. The device's handle touches the neoplasm and cuts it gently, while cauterizing the surrounding blood vessels and killing bacteria. Loop temperature 800 ° C. After exposure, a thin crust forms, which falls off in a few days, leaving a small pinkish spot.
The advantages of the procedure are the small amount of time required, the ability to remove several warts in one session (if they are located close to each other), and large warts can be removed. During and after surgery, bleeding and infection are excluded. By removing small warts, no traces are left.
The downside is the inability to use it for plantar warts. They are very rough and are located in a too dense layer of the skin. In such situations, more intense treatments are used.
Surgical wart removal.
Today, this is the most effective way to remove warts, as it allows you to ensure the removal of all pathological tissues. However, it is used only in extreme cases, when the warts are very large or constantly recur.
5 stages of operation:
- Treatment of the area with an antiseptic solution;
- Clean scalpel incisions around the injury;
- Remove your body with forceps from the surrounding healthy tissue;
- Treatment of the operative wound;
- Sutures and bandages.
The infrequent use of this method is due to the scars that remain after the suture. In addition, there is a risk of infection, inflammation, edema, bleeding in case of extensive postoperative wounds. However, with large old warts, you can get rid of them only in this way. If urgently needed, surgical removal is performed even on the face.
A dermatologist and surgeon will help you choose a way to remove warts in a preliminary consultation. The most common options are:
- For small warts on the face and other parts of the body: laser, electrocoagulation, cryodestructive, removal of radio waves;
- For especially large plantar warts on the face and body: surgical, laser, radio waves;
- For multiple not on the sole - laser; radio waves, liquid nitrogen removal;
- For planting small - laser.
Sometimes the choice also depends on the general health of the patient, age and even the type of activity (for some professions, the presence of scars on the face or neck is unacceptable). In the latter case, only expensive laser removal is possible. In other situations, an individual approach is used.