Get rid of warts SWIFTly

What is a wart?

Warts are a very common contagious infection of the skin, they are commonly found on our feet. This infection is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Warts are difficult to get rid of as our immune system does not recognise the virus in order to fight it off. Some warts are not painful, whereas some can be very sore!

What can be done?

Short of having warts surgically removed, common wart treatments are Cryotherapy (freezing them off) and Salicylic Acid (creams). These continue to be useful modalities, but have not dealt with some of the more resilient cases we see. To tackle this issue, we are now providing treatment with SWIFT Wart Therapy!

What is SWIFT?

SWIFT is a medical microwave technology which has proven highly effective at resolving warts. The microwaves are emitted to a predetermined depth, which ensures we treat only the wart . The microwaves result in the warts releasing certain proteins into our circulation, triggering our immune system to attack and resolve the wart.

This treatment is 83% effective as per the average protocol. This is the highest among any other wart treatment modalities.

Will I feel anything?

• The rapid heating of the wart can cause discomfort - however, this will only last for a second

• This temperature is only a few degrees higher than a hot bath and will not cause any serious tissue damage or scarring.

• Local Anaesthetic can be utilized if need be.

Why do we recommend this treatment?

• Rapid treatment time

• No dressings required

• No need for self care

• Pain relief post treatment

• Few treatments needed

• Highly effective (83% success)

• Great for those large (mosaic) warts which can seem impossible to successfully treat!

How many treatments will I need?

• Each person responds differently to treatment

• Most patients require 3 treatments, however your podiatrist will discuss the treatment plan

Can anyone receive this treatment?

• Your podiatrist will carry out an assessment prior to treatment and will advise you whether you are an appropriate candidate for this therapy.

Case studies:

References:

Bristow, I., Lim, W., Lee, A., Holbrook, D., Savelyeva, N., Thomson, P., Webb, C., Polak, M. and Ardern-Jones, M., 2017. Microwave therapy for cutaneous human papilloma virus infection. European Journal of Dermatology, 27(5), pp.511-518.