Continuing on with our conversation on plantar warts brings us to the very tricky question of how to get rid of them. In our previous blog we talked about some of the common conservative treatments available.
Today we would like to introduce a surgical technique that has been producing awesome results.
So just a quick recap…..
Plantar warts are small growths that usually appear on the heels or other weight-bearing areas of your feet. This pressure may also cause plantar warts to grow inward beneath a hard, thick layer of skin (callus).Plantar warts are caused by HPV. The virus enters your body through tiny cuts, breaks or other weak spots on the bottom of your feet.
Plantar warts are a source of frustration for both the person with the wart their family and the treating practitioner, as no one treatment is completely effective in all patients. The treatment of plantar warts tends to be time consuming, costly and painful. Indeed, some treatment options can lead to scar tissue formation. There is a vast array of treatment and the success rates vary significantly.
This brings us to one of the more successful and probably one of the quickest treatments for plantar warts: Multipuncture Surgery!
“What is multipuncture surgery?” I hear you ask.
Multipuncture is a surgical technique used for the stubborn warts, that do not want to go or are causing pain. Local anaesthetic is administered around the area of the wart so as to achieve complete anaesthesia of the wart area. Once the area of skin is anaesthetised, any overlying callus is debrided. If there are multiple plantar warts, the largest and thickest wart is selected for treatment.
The area surrounding the wart is first cleansed with iodine and checked to ensure that you will not feel anything. Following this a small needle is used to produce lots of small holes in the wart that go through to the healthy tissue below. The total number of holes varies according to the size of the lesion. The objective of this treatment is to break up the unhealthy tissue so your body can dispose of it.
After the surgery the area is dressed with a sterile dressing which is left in place for 24hrs. Following the procedure you will have a couple of reviews with your podiatrist to ensure complete resolution and healing has occurred.
According to Belinda Longhurst and Ivan Bristol (69%) cases demonstrated complete resolution of verrucae following needling treatment.
Ultimately prevention is the best cure for this condition so to reduce your risk of plantar warts:
- Avoid direct contact with warts. This includes your own warts. Wash your hands carefully after touching a wart.
- Keep your feet clean and dry. Change your shoes and socks daily.
- Avoid walking barefoot around swimming pools and locker rooms.
- Don’t pick at or scratch warts.
- Don’t use the same emery board, pumice stone or nail clipper on your warts as you use on your healthy skin and nails.
However is if you find you have a spot you think may be a plantar wart and you would like to get it checked out for a short time we are offering a gap free assessment to advise if your spot is a plantar wart and the best treatment options for you.
To find out more about this offer click the link below…..
Click Here To Find Out More About Our Gap Free Plantar Wart Assessment