Removal of warts is a required procedure in modern clinics. Its essence is to extract abnormal cells from healthy tissue. Methods of removing warts are varied, 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 of removing warts are the most popular:
- Laser;
- Radio wave;
- Removal with liquid nitrogen;
- Electrocoagulation;
- Traditional surgery.
The use of either method of wart removal (cryodestruction, electrocoagulation, laser exposure, surgical excision) depends on the size of the formation and the patient's personal preferences.
All methods, except the surgical method, do not require special training. It is necessary to do blood tests for coagulability, infections, etc. only before excision of the wart with a scalpel.
Laser wart removal
Laser removal is the most popular way to get rid of skin growths. Its advantage is speed, the 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 tissue is not affected by laser destruction of warts. No incision is made on the skin, the method is completely contactless.
The laser beam gently cauterizes the blood vessels surrounding the wart. The bacteria die during the procedure. Recovery does not take more than a week. Swelling, bleeding, infections and other complications are excluded. Warts remaining after tissue removal, if necessary, can be sent for histology, as they are not completely destroyed.
The procedure is simple, it is possible to resort to anesthesia. The patient is placed on a couch and the laser head is aimed at the wart. After that, a beam is launched, which evaporates part of the neoplastic tissue in a fraction of a second. After a few seconds of such exposure, the procedure ends, but if the wart is very large, you need to remove it in several stages. This is the main drawback - if a course of procedures is required, the patient spends a lot of personal time and pays for several sessions.
Removal of warts by radio wave method
It is the softest technique and best suited to small warts. High-frequency waves allow you to remove pathological tissue, literally evaporating it, 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.
In addition, the advantages of this method include:
- Indolence;
- Quick recovery;
- Minimal 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 suitable.
Removal of warts with liquid nitrogen
Cryodestruction is a contact method for removing warts. 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 are possible. Negative side: Sometimes painful sensations are observed during and after the procedure.
The process of removing liquid nitrogen is simple. The patient is placed or seated on a sofa in the operating room, the exposure site is treated with an antiseptic. The doctor immerses 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. The remnants of tissue are 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 resort to local anesthesia and treat the skin with an antiseptic. Removal is carried out using an electrocoagulator - a special device that heats the tissues with a high-frequency electric current. The loop of the device touches the neoplasm and cuts it gently, while simultaneously cauterizing surrounding blood vessels and killing bacteria. Loop temperature 800 ° C After exposure, a thin crust forms, which falls off in a few days, leaving behind a small pink spot.
The advantages of the procedure are the short 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 infections are excluded. When removing small warts, no traces remain.
The downside is the inability to use it for plantar warts. They are very rough and localized in too dense a layer of the skin. In such situations, more intense treatments are used.
Surgical removal of warts
Today, it is the most effective way to remove warts, as it ensures the removal of all pathological tissue. However, it is only used in extreme cases, when the warts are very large or constantly reappear.
5 stages of the operation:
- Treatment of the area with an antiseptic solution;
- Sharp incisions with a scalpel around the lesion;
- Remove his body with tweezers from the surrounding healthy tissue;
- Treatment of the operative wound;
- Suture and dressing.
The infrequent use of this method is due to the scars that remain after suturing. In addition, there is a risk of infection, inflammation, edema, bleeding with extensive postoperative wounds. However, with big old warts, you can only get rid of them this way. In case of urgent need, surgical removal is performed even on the face.
A dermatologist and surgeon will help you choose a way to remove warts during a prior consultation. The most common choices 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, laser, radio waves;
- For several steps on the sole - laser; radio wave, removal of liquid nitrogen;
- For small plantar - laser.
Sometimes the choice also depends on the general state of 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.