There are various treatments available for genital warts removal for Cryotherapy, Liquid nitrogen, electrocautery, or excision. But, it is important to choose the right treatment for your condition. Not all of these methods can be effective for your condition. Your doctor will be able to advise you on the best treatment for your particular case. You can also try natural remedies such as herbs and homeopathic treatments.
Cryotherapy
Patients with a small to moderate number of warts may be candidates for cryotherapy. It involves using a liquid nitrogen spray or a cotton swab to freeze warts. During the procedure, patients feel a burning sensation or a sting similar to frostbite. After the treatment, the affected area may be left sore for a few days. Cryotherapy may be applied two or three times to achieve optimal results. Patients should come back to the clinic for follow-up visits until the wart falls off.
Although there is little data on the efficacy of cryotherapy, there is some evidence that it is effective at destroying tissues containing wart virus. The failure of cryotherapy is often due to several factors, including intrinsic refractoriness of the lesions, recurrence of warts at new sites, or reactivation of the virus by nearby normal skin. However, there are a few cases in which cryotherapy has produced complete cures.
Excision
A variety of treatments are available for genital warts. The least expensive is podofilox, followed by electrodesiccation and podophyllin resin. The more expensive alternatives include interferon treatment and cryotherapy. In addition, there are a variety of non-surgical options, such as laser treatments. Although most treatments are relatively safe, they can cause significant discomfort, including ulcerations at the treatment site.
Surgical methods involve the removal of warts by cutting them off. Surgical procedures can be performed with tangential scissor, laser, or shave excision. Another option is the loop electrosurgical excision procedure, which uses a sharp instrument to cut out the wart. Both options require local anesthesia and may involve several sessions. These procedures are best for warts that are widespread or cover large areas.
Electrocautery
If a genital wart is large or causing obstruction, electrocautery is a safe and effective way to remove it. Electrocautery uses an electric current to burn the wart. The procedure is very painful and requires a local anaesthetic. Afterward, patients can take pain relievers to minimize any pain. If electrocautery is ineffective, doctors may recommend surgical excision, but only in certain situations. In addition, surgical removal must be carried out in areas that are well-demarcated and have appropriate surgical margins.
After electrocautery, the patient is likely to experience some pain and bleeding. However, the procedure is not serious and can be performed on smaller warts. The procedure is performed in a doctor's office with local anesthesia. A bupivacaine injection is used to minimize the pain. The procedure usually requires two to four weeks of recovery. Some patients may have scarring afterward.
Liquid nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen is a treatment that uses cold temperatures to freeze a wart, making it easier to remove. This treatment, also known as cryotherapy, involves two steps: first, a doctor will remove any extra skin that surrounds the wart, followed by liquid nitrogen application. The process typically lasts about ten to twenty seconds. Once the wart is frozen, a blister will form around it, which can be removed within a week.
The benefits of cryotherapy are similar to that of surgery. The only major difference is that cryotherapy does not cure the underlying infection of HPV. However, the warts themselves may heal after the treatment and your body will be able to rid itself of the virus. Cryotherapy is not available over-the-counter, and may require several visits. Home freezing products do not contain liquid nitrogen. They contain dimethyl ether, propane, and dimethyl ether. The freezing chemicals in these products are similar to those used in cryotherapy, but have lower concentrations and are less effective.
Laser treatment
There are many benefits of laser treatment for genital warts. Lasers can eliminate warts in a relatively short period of time. Compared to other treatment options, lasers require little to no recovery time and are usually performed under general anesthesia. The laser also destroys the warts without affecting the surrounding tissue. However, some women may be unsuitable for laser surgery, especially if they are pregnant.
The Erbium laser is an example of a laser that can target a smaller area with high precision. It doesn't produce scarring and researchers have found that the debris from laser treatments does not spread the wart virus. Neodymium lasers target the blood vessels in warts and are often used to treat papillomas, which are caused by the same virus as warts.