The removal of warts is a required procedure in modern clinics. Its essence is to extract abnormal cells from healthy tissues. The methods of removing warts are different, 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.
Nowadays, the following methods for removing warts are the most popular:
- Laser;
- Radio wave;
- Liquid nitrogen removal;
- Electrocoagulation;
- Traditional surgery.
The use of one or another method of removing warts (cryodestruction, electrocoagulation, laser exposure, surgical removal) depends on the size of the formation and the patient's personal preferences.
All methods except surgical do not require any special training. Only before removing the wart with a scalpel, blood tests for coagulability, infections, etc. must be carried out.
Laser wart removal
Laser removal is the most popular way to get rid of skin growth. Its advantage is speed, absence of scars, minimal risk of infection and other complications. The procedure is useful for removing small warts, although it can also be used for large neoplasms. For example, if you need to remove a wart on your face or other open area on your body, it's difficult to do without a laser. Healthy tissue is not affected by laser warts destruction. No cuts are made on the skin, the method is completely touchless.
The laser beam gently cauterizes the blood vessels surrounding the wart. Bacteria die off during the procedure. Recovery will take no more than a week. Swelling, bleeding, infection and other complications are excluded. The warts that remain after the tissue removal can be sent for histology if necessary, as they will not be completely destroyed.
The procedure is simple, it is possible to use anesthesia. The patient is placed on a couch and the laser head is aimed at the wart. A jet is then started which vaporizes part of the neoplasmic tissue in a fraction of a second. After a few seconds of such exposure, the process ends, but if the wart is very large, you need to remove it in several steps. This is the main disadvantage - when a procedure is required, the patient spends a lot of personal time and pays for multiple sessions.
Removal of warts by radio wave method
This is the gentlest technique and is also best for small warts. High-frequency waves allow you to remove pathological tissue and literally vaporize it, making this method similar to laser destruction. The traces that remain on the skin are practically invisible, so radio waves can also be used on the face.
The advantages of this method also include:
- Painlessness;
- Quick recovery;
- A minimum of complications and side effects;
- Elimination of bacteria during the procedure;
- No need for complicated maintenance;
- Possibility of histological analysis.
The disadvantage is that radio wave surgery is not suitable for particularly large warts.
Removal of warts with liquid nitrogen
Cryodestruction is a contact method used to get rid of warts. The advantages are the low price, the speed of the process and good results. The method is suitable for removal on any area of the body, but it is rarely used when working with a face - small marks are possible. Negative: Sometimes painful sensations are observed during and after the procedure.
The process of removing liquid nitrogen is simple. The patient is laid or seated on a couch in the operating room, the exposure site is treated with an antiseptic. The doctor dips a cotton swab or special instrument in liquid nitrogen. Its temperature is below -195. 75 ° C. Then the doctor brings the stick to the wart and touches it. Tissues freeze and collapse quickly - cells break due to the expansion of frozen water. The tissue remains are removed and the wound 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 perform local anesthesia and treat the skin with an antiseptic. The removal is done with an electrocoagulator - a special device that heats tissue with a high-frequency electric current. The loop of the device contacts the neoplasm and gently cuts it off while simultaneously cauterizing the surrounding blood vessels and killing bacteria. Loop temperature 800 ° C. After exposure, a thin crust forms, which falls off within a few days and leaves a small pink stain.
The advantages of the procedure are the small amount of time it takes, the ability to remove multiple warts in one session (if they are close together), and large warts can be removed. Bleeding and infections are excluded during and after the operation. When removing small warts, no traces are left.
The downside is the impossibility of using it on plantar warts. They are very rough and localized in too dense a layer of skin. In such situations, more intensive treatments are used.
Surgical removal of warts
Today it is the most effective way to remove warts as it will ensure the elimination of all pathological tissues. However, it is only used in extreme cases when the warts are very large or keep coming back.
5 phases of the operation:
- Treating the area with an antiseptic solution;
- Proper scalpel cuts around the lesion;
- Removing his body from surrounding healthy tissue with forceps;
- Treatment of the surgical wound;
- Sewing and dressing.
The infrequent use of this method is due to the scars left after sewing. In addition, with extensive post-operative wounds, there is a risk of infection, inflammation, edema and bleeding. However, this is the only way to remove them for large old warts. If necessary, surgical removal is even performed on the face.
A dermatologist and surgeon will help you choose a way to remove warts with a preliminary consultation. The most common options are:
- For small warts on the face and other parts of the body - laser, electrocoagulation, cryodestruction, radio wave removal;
- For particularly large plantar warts on the face and body - surgical warts, laser warts, radio waves;
- For several not on the sole - laser; Radio wave, liquid nitrogen removal;
- For small plantar lasers.
Sometimes the choice also depends on the general health, age, and even the type of activity of the patient (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.