Warts are not only a cosmetic defect, but also a sign that the body is infected with papillomavirus and requires treatment. There are several ways to eliminate neoplasms, but the most popular is the removal of papillomas with a laser. This method is considered one of the safest, it allows you to quickly remove the papilloma, and after removal, complications almost never occur. But the laser is not a panacea and it is not suitable for everyone. Let's consider how laser therapy is performed and know the advantages and disadvantages of the process.
What is laser therapy
Laser therapy involves exposing a tumor to a beam of light with a specific wavelength. When removing papillomas, the following occurs:
- moisture evaporates from the tumor cells;
- the cellular structure begins to deteriorate.
The ray of light, destroying the wart, almost does not damage the epidermis. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis.
The advantages of the technique
Specialists, choosing a method of removing the papilloma, prefer a laser. Let's consider the main advantages of laser surgery:
- Low injury rate. The depth of the beam is selected individually, and during exposure only the wart is eliminated without damaging the deeper layers of the epidermis.
- Without blood. The beam of light causes coagulation (adhesion of the walls) of the vessels that feed the neoplasm, so there is no bleeding during the procedure.
- Low risk of infection. Due to the fact that the vessels "stick", the likelihood of infection in the resulting wound is minimal.
- The ability to remove papilloma anywhere in the human body.
- Lack of postoperative scars. Subject to medical skin care recommendations, no traces remain at the laser exposure site. This allows you to get rid of papillomas on the neck, face and other exposed parts of the body without the risk of getting ugly scars.
- Short rehabilitation period. The wake of the surgery heals in a week.
- The ability to eliminate neoplasms of any size. The size of the wart does not matter with laser therapy.
- Absence of relative pain. During the action of the light beam, most patients feel only heat, pain is noticeable only in people with increased sensitivity. To eliminate pain or discomfort, the removal is done under local anesthesia.
- Safety. It is permissible to get rid of papillomas even in childhood.
Despite the fact that laser removal has advantages over other methods and is performed in many beauty salons, it is necessary to consult a doctor before eliminating the training.
The need for consultation is to distinguish papillomas from other neoplasms and identify possible contraindications.
Disadvantages and possible contraindications
Despite the safety, laser removal of warty growths has several disadvantages:
- Scar formation. This complication develops in people with low tissue regenerative capacity. Scars at the site of a removed wart are rare.
- Accession of a secondary infection. Improper wound care after laser removal leads to infection of the wound surface, which is accompanied by edema or suppuration.
- Allergy. There are no allergic manifestations to the laser, but a reaction to anesthesia can develop. Manifestations can be different: from local hyperemia and edema to anaphylactic shock.
- High price. For neoplasms caused by the HPV virus, laser removal is carried out for a fee, and the cost depends on the size of the wart and the number of formations.
- Inability to conduct a cytological study. With laser exposure, the cells of the wart formation are completely destroyed, and if tissue degeneration is suspected, it is necessary to study the removed papilloma.
In addition to the possible negative consequences of removal, there are absolute contraindications:
- endocrine disorders (thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus, etc. );
- infectious and inflammatory processes of the skin at the site of growth localization;
- acute diseases or exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- recent prolonged sun exposure or a visit to the solarium (2 weeks should pass from the time you get a tan);
- oncological processes;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Before the procedure, the doctor examines the patient, determining possible complications after removal of the papilloma and the presence of contraindications. Consultation with a doctor helps reduce the risk of complications.
What papillomas can be removed with a laser
Is it dangerous to remove papillomas with a laser? Only the doctor will respond after examining the patient. Almost all types of warts can be removed using laser destruction.
Laser therapy is indicated for the following types of wart formations:
- vulgar;
- warts;
- thorns;
- dish;
- filiform;
- on a thin leg.
A contraindication for the use of laser therapy is the suspicion that pathological tissue degeneration has occurred and that a cytological examination is required. In this case, the removal is performed differently, which allows you to preserve the biomaterial for analysis.
Types of machines
There are several types of equipment for removing papillomas:
- Contour TRL (Adjustable Coating Laser). It is considered one of the safest, equipped with a radius adjustment function, which allows you to accurately calculate the depth of penetration into the tissue.
- Sciton embedded in the laser platform. The new technology allows to heat the deep layers of the epidermis well, removing skin cells altered by the papillomavirus. In addition to eliminating warts, the device is used for cosmetic procedures.
- SmartXide DOT (Italy). It has a sparing effect on the epidermis and is used not only to remove warty growths, but also to rejuvenate the skin (while the process of "removing" the upper layer of the keratinized epithelium occurs).
Doctors qualitatively remove papillomas with any of the described devices, using laser beams as an alternative to surgical scalpel.
Laser destruction is considered to be one of the least traumatic methods of eliminating warts. But, despite the safety of the procedure, it is necessary to consult a doctor before carrying it out to reduce the risk of side effects and identify contraindications.
The type of equipment purchased depends on the profile of the clinic (additional provision of cosmetic services) and the financial capabilities of the institution (devices differ in cost).
Preparation for the procedure
Laser removal of papilloma does not require specialized training. But before starting the procedure, it is recommended to:
- Determine the HPV strain. Some of the papillomaviruses are dangerous from an oncogenic point of view.
- Show a warty formation to a dermatologist. This is important when the color or shape of the papilloma changes. If an oncological process is suspected, a cytological examination is required, which cannot be performed after elimination of the laser.
On the day of the procedure, it is necessary to cleanly wash the wart localization site and not to drink alcohol.
How is laser removal done?
Laser destruction can be conditionally divided into several stages:
- antiseptic treatment of the skin surface;
- injection of a local anesthetic (if necessary);
- layer-by-layer laser evaporation of the papilloma.
Skin malignancies are cleared in a short period of time (from a few seconds to several minutes) and re-treatment is usually not required.
Several treatments may be needed only if the tumor is large. In this case, in order to reduce trauma to the epithelium, layer-by-layer removal of the wart is performed for several days.
How to treat wounds after removing papillomas
To avoid complications after papilloma removal, doctors give the following recommendations:
- What to process. It is necessary to use wound healing ointments or gels and clean the postoperative wound with a weak solution of manganese or calendula tincture. With low cell regeneration, it is necessary to consult a dermatologist about how to treat the postoperative surface to avoid scarring.
- What not to do after the procedure. It is strictly forbidden to peel off the scab formed at the site of removal or injure the wound. The scab will fall off on its own at the end of the regeneration process, and to avoid injury when rubbing with clothing, it is recommended to glue the place where the wart is removed with a bactericidal patch. But it is not necessary to constantly walk with plaster - the wound needs access to air for complete healing.
After removal of the papilloma with a laser, care is easy - it is enough not to injure the wound surface and regularly treat it with wound healing agents. At the risk of complications associated with scar formation, the doctor gives special recommendations on how to care for the wound after the procedure.
Rehabilitation period
Despite the fact that the recovery period after laser destruction is short, it is important to follow all the recommendations given by the doctor after laser removal of papillomas.
As a rule, healing of the laser-treated skin surface occurs one week after the procedure. To prevent the appearance of scars and scars, it is necessary to use the recommended drugs, and not to try to peel off the formed scab.
In most patients, the scabs disappear within 7-10 days, and with the destruction of large warty formations, it may take longer. After the crust has peeled off, a smooth pink skin is visible at the removal site, gradually taking on a normal color.
Is it painful to remove a papilloma with a laser?
Most patients are afraid of pain, and the belief in the absence of pain is important for psychological comfort. About laser therapy the following can be said:
- only the heat is felt instead of the laser action;
- suspected patients or people with hypersensitivity of the skin undergo laser removal under local anesthesia.
The removal time is short (maximum - a few minutes), and only slight discomfort is felt at the site of the removed wart, which disappears in the first days after destruction.
How much does the service in clinics cost
The cost of removing papillomas depends on the following:
- the reputation of the clinic;
- on which parts of the body are the warts (for the face and genitals you need a "special approach");
- size and other factors.