Verruca Removal

Cryotherapy treatment for verruca:

Cryotherapy involves freezing verruca using a very cold substance (usually liquid nitrogen). Cryotherapy is a standard treatment for all warts and can be done in a clinic. The liquid nitrogen application usually takes less than a minute. Your podiatrist may pare the skin over a wart before applying liquid nitrogen.. A numbing local anesthetic is usually not necessary but may be used in some cases. Your podiatrist applies the liquid nitrogen to the wart using a probe or a cotton swab. Liquid nitrogen can also be sprayed directly on the wart. Most warts require 1 to 4 treatments, with 1 to 3 weeks between each treatment.

What to expect after verruca cryotherapy?

Pain from cryotherapy can last up to 3 days. Healing is generally quick (7 to 14 days) with little or no scarring. Within hours after treatment, a blister may form. If the blister breaks, clean the area to prevent the spread of the wart virus. Avoid contact with the fluid, which may contain the wart virus. The blister will dry up over the next few days, and the wart may fall off. Multiple treatments may be needed to get rid of the verrucae.

If done carefully, cryotherapy poses little risk of scarring. If a wart is thick and requires extensive or repeated freezing, nerves around the wart can be damaged, scarring may occur, and the skin may take a long time to recover. There is a small chance of infection associated with cryotherapy.

Electrosurgery to remove verruca:

Electrosurgery is the use a machine called a hyfrecator, which is a low powered medical device. It works by emitting low-power high frequency A.C. electrical pulses, via an electrode, directly to the affected area on the foot. The area in question is numbed using anaesthetic injections similar to that used at the dentist. Your podiatrist will choose the best method of numbing the area in question. Discuss with the podiatrist about bringing a friend or family member with you or even your favourite CD to play in the surgery…whatever will help you feel confident and relaxed. When the anaesthetic wears off it is to be expected that there may be some discomfort initially. This can be managed with over-the-counter analgesics similar to what you would take for a head ach. The wound created heals quickly over a matter of weeks (usually 2-4). Sensible shoes and as much rest as possible will help the healing process. You can normally go back to work soon after the procedure. Discuss this further with your podiatrist. A crust will slowly form over the area during the healing period. We will see you for regular dressings and check-ups. As this is a surgical procedure, most health insurance companies will cover the cost of this.