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 laser papilloma removal. 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 medicine and is not suitable for everyone. Let's look at how laser therapy is performed, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the procedure.
What is laser therapy
Laser therapy involves exposing a neoplasm to a light beam of a specific wavelength. During the removal of papillomas, the following occur:
- moisture evaporates from neoplasm cells;
- cell structure begins to deteriorate.
The ray of light, destroying the wart, hardly damages the epidermis. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis.
Advantages of the technique
Specialists, choosing a method for papilloma removal, prefer a laser. Let's look at 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.
- Anemia. The ray of light causes the vessels that supply the neoplasm to coagulate (stick to the walls), so there is no bleeding during the procedure.
- Low risk of infection. Due to the fact that the vessels "stick together", the likelihood of infection in the resulting wound is minimal.
- The ability to remove papilloma anywhere in the human body.
- Absence of wounds after surgery. Depending on the medical recommendations for skin care, no trace remains at the site of laser exposure. This makes it possible to remove papillomas on the neck, face and other exposed parts of the body without the risk of getting ugly scars.
- Short rehabilitation period. The trace of the intervention heals within a week.
- Ability to eliminate neoplasms of any size. Wart size does not matter with laser therapy.
- No relative pain. During the action of the light beam, most patients feel only warmth, pain is observed only in persons with increased sensitivity. To eliminate pain or discomfort, removal is done under local anesthesia.
- Security. It is allowed to eliminate papillomas even in childhood.
Despite the fact that laser hair removal has advantages over other methods and is performed in many beauty salons, it is necessary to consult a doctor before eliminating the formation.
The need for consultation is to distinguish papillomas from other neoplasms and to identify possible contraindications.
Possible disadvantages and contraindications
Despite the safety, laser removal of lesion growths has several disadvantages:
- Scar formation. This complication develops in people with low tissue regenerative capacity. Wounds at the site of the removed wart are rare.
- Access to a secondary infection. Improper wound care after laser removal leads to infection of the wound surface, which is accompanied by edema or suffocation.
- Allergies. There are no allergic manifestations to the laser, but a reaction to anesthesia may develop. Manifestations can vary: from local hyperemia and edema to anaphylactic shock.
- High price. For neoplasms caused by the HPV virus, laser removal is performed for a fee and the cost depends on the size of the wart and the number of formations.
- Inability to perform a cytological study. With laser exposure, the wart-forming cells 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 exposure to the sun or a visit to the solarium (2 weeks should elapse from the moment of tanning);
- oncological processes;
- pregnancy and lactation.
Before the procedure, the doctor examines the patient, determining the possible complications after removal of the papilloma and the presence of contraindications. Consulting a doctor helps reduce the risk of complications.
Which papillomas can be removed with laser
Is laser papilloma removal dangerous? 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;
- condyloma;
- thorns;
- flat;
- primary;
- on a slender leg.
A contraindication to the use of laser therapy is the suspicion that a pathological tissue degeneration has occurred and a cytological examination is necessary. In this case, the removal is performed in another way, which makes it possible to store the biomaterial for analysis.
Types of cars
There are several types of papilloma removal equipment:
- Contour TRL (Tuned Resonator Laser). It is considered one of the safest, equipped with a beam adjustment function, which allows you to accurately calculate the depth of penetration into the tissue.
- Sciton embedded in the laser platform. New technology makes it possible to heat well the deep layers of the epidermis, removing papillomavirus-altered skin cells. 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 wart growths, but also to rejuvenate the skin (while the process of "removing" the top layer of keratinized epithelium occurs).
Doctors qualitatively remove papillomas with any of the devices described, using laser beam as an alternative to a surgical scalpel.
Laser destruction is considered one of the least traumatic methods for eliminating warts. But despite the safety of the procedure, it is necessary to consult a doctor before performing it 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 (equipment varies in cost).
Preparation for the procedure
Laser removal of papilloma does not require specialized training. But before you go for the procedure, it is recommended:
- Determine the type of HPV. Some of the papillomaviruses are oncogenically dangerous.
- Show a wart 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 needed, which cannot be done after laser elimination.
On the day of the procedure, you should clean the site of the wart localization and not drink alcohol.
How is laser removal performed?
Laser destruction can be conditionally divided into several stages:
- antiseptic treatment of the skin surface;
- injection of a local anesthetic (if necessary);
- laser layer-by-layer evaporation of the papilloma.
Skin neoplasms are eliminated in a short period of time (from a few seconds to a few minutes) and usually no retreatment is required.
Some treatments may be needed only if the tumor is large. In this case, to reduce the trauma of the epithelium, the wart removal is done layer by layer for several days.
How to treat scars after papilloma removal
To avoid complications after papilloma removal, doctors give the following recommendations:
- What to process. It is necessary to use ointments or gels for wound healing and wipe the wound after surgery with a weak solution of manganese or calendula solution. With low cell regeneration, you should consult a dermatologist on how to treat the surface after surgery in order to avoid scarring.
- What not to do after the procedure. It is strictly forbidden to peel the crust formed at the site of removal or wound injury. The crust will fall off on its own after the regeneration process is complete and to avoid damage while rubbing with clothes, it is recommended to glue the place where the wart is removed with a bactericidal plaster. But you do not need to constantly plaster - the wound needs air access for complete healing.
After laser papilloma removal, care is easy: you just do not need to injure the wound surface and treat it regularly with wound healing agents. With the risk of complications associated with wound formation, the doctor gives specific recommendations on how to care for the wound after the procedure.
Rehabilitation period
Although 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 sores and wounds, it is necessary to use the recommended medication and do not try to peel off the formed crust.
In most patients, the crusts disappear in 7-10 days, and with the destruction of large wart formations, it may take longer. Once the crust has fallen off, a smooth pink epidermis is visible at the site of removal, which gradually takes on a normal color.
Is laser papilloma removal painful?
Most patients are afraid of pain and the belief in the absence of pain is important for psychological comfort. The following can be said about laser therapy:
- only heat is felt at the site of laser action;
- Suspected patients or persons with skin hypersensitivity undergo laser removal under local anesthesia.
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 the clinics cost
The cost of papilloma removal depends on the following:
- the reputation of the clinic;
- in which parts of the body are the warts (for the face and genitals a "special approach" is needed);
- size, as well as other factors.