Wart removal is a required procedure in modern clinics. Its essence is to extract abnormal cells from healthy tissue. The methods for removing warts are different, and the choice depends on several factors at once: the size of the neoplasm, the location, the number of growths, the personal preferences of the doctor and the patient.
Today, the following methods for removing warts are the most popular:
- Laser;
- Radio vala;
- Liquid nitrogen removal;
- Electrocoagulation;
- Traditional surgery.
The use of one or another method for removing warts (cryodestruction, electrocoagulation, laser exposure, surgical incision) depends on the size of the formation and the personal preferences of the patient.
All methods, except the surgical one, do not require special training. It is necessary to do blood tests for coagulation, infections, etc. Just before the wart is removed with a scalpel.
Laser wart removal
Laser removal is the most popular way to get rid of skin growths. Its advantage is speed, lack of signs, minimal risk of infection and other complications. The method is suitable for removing small warts, although it is also applicable to large neoplasms. For example, it is difficult to do without a laser when you have to remove a wart on the face or other exposed area of the body. Healthy tissues are not affected by laser destruction of warts. No incisions are made in the skin, the method is completely non-contact.
The laser beam gently cauterizes the blood vessels surrounding the warts. Bacteria die during the procedure. Healing lasts no more than a week. Swelling, bleeding, infection and other complications are excluded. Warts left 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 sofa and the laser head is directed at the wart. After that, a ray is released, which evaporates a part of the neoplasm tissue in a part of a second. After a few seconds of such exposure, the procedure ends, but if the wart is too large, you need to remove it in a few steps. This is the main drawback - if a course of procedures is needed, the patient spends a lot of personal time and pays for a few sessions.
Removal of warts by the method of radio wave
This is the mildest technique and is also more suitable for small warts. High-frequency waves allow you to remove pathological tissue, evaporating them literally, 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:
- Without pain;
- Rapid 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 particularly large warts, radio wave surgery is not appropriate.
Removal of warts with liquid nitrogen
Cryodestruction is a contact method for eliminating warts. Its advantages lie in the low price, the speed of the procedure and a good result. The method is suitable for removal on any area of the body, but is rarely used when working with a face - small marks are possible. On the negative side: sometimes painful sensations are noticed during and after the procedure.
The process of removing liquid nitrogen is simple. The patient is placed or sitting on a sofa in the operating room, the site of exposure is treated with an antiseptic. The doctor dips a cotton swab or a special instrument in liquid nitrogen. Its temperature is below -195, 75 ° C. After that, the doctor brings the stick to the wart and touches it. Tissues quickly freeze and collapse - cells break down due to the expansion of frozen water. Tissue residues are removed, the wound is treated.
Electrocoagulation of warts
This method is also suitable for most areas of the body, including the face. Before surgery, it is necessary to use local anesthesia and treat the skin with an antiseptic. Removal is performed using an electrocoagulator - a special device that heats tissues with a high-frequency electric current. The loop of the device touches the neoplasm and cuts it gently, while at the same time cauterizing the surrounding blood vessels and destroying bacteria. The temperature of the loop is 800 ° C. After exposure, a thin crust is formed, which falls off within a few days, leaving behind a small pink stain.
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), large warts can be removed. During and after surgery, bleeding and infection are ruled out. When you remove small warts, no trace remains.
The bad thing is the impossibility of using it for plantar warts. They are very rough and localized in a very dense layer of skin. In such situations, more intensive treatments are used.
Surgical removal of warts
Today, this is the most effective way to remove warts, as it allows you to guarantee the elimination of all pathological tissues. However, it is used only in extreme cases, when the warts are very large or recurring constantly.
5 stages of the operation:
- Treat the area with an antiseptic solution;
- Thin scalpel incisions around the wound;
- Removing his body with tweezers from the surrounding healthy tissue;
- Operative wound treatment;
- Sewing and dressing.
The infrequent use of this method is due to the marks that remain after sewing. In addition, there is a risk of infection, inflammation, edema, bleeding in case of extensive postoperative wounds. However, with large old warts, you can only get rid of them this way. If there is an urgent need, surgical removal is also performed on the face.
A dermatologist and a surgeon will help you choose a way to remove the warts at a preliminary consultation. The most common choices are:
- For small warts on the face and other parts of the body - laser, electrocoagulation, cryodestructive, radio wave removal;
- For those particularly large on the face and body, plantar warts - surgical, laser, radio wave;
- For multiple not in single part - laser; radio waves, removal of liquid nitrogen;
- For the small toe 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 marks 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.