Quick, In-Office Treatment for Plantar Warts
Plantar warts are notoriously difficult to treat. Traditional treatments, such as cryotherapy, can be painful and require repeated sessions. In some cases, these options might not even provide effective relief. Dr. Rachel Balloch is excited to offer plantar wart treatment with the Swift device, which emits low-dose microwave energy to stimulate the body's own healing response and treat warts at their source. The procedure is quick, there is no operating room needed, and it can give patients of our Hartford County, CT, office the relief they need.
What Causes Plantar Warts?
In order to understand how the Swift device works, it's helpful to first look at how plantar warts develop. The condition is incredibly common and is caused by a virus that enters the skin through tiny breaks or weak spots. Plantar warts most often develop on the heels or other parts of your feet, especially areas that bear more weight.
The lesions are harmless, but patients should seek treatment if the areas become painful, spread to other areas of the foot, or interfere with normal physical activities.
What Types of Treatment Are Available?
Most types of plantar wart removal are designed to simply remove the affected tissue. In the past, doctors would often recommend:
- Salicylic acid or other types of acid
- Laser treatment
- Cryotherapy (freezing the area)
- Surgical excision
After undergoing these treatments, patients often require re-treatment and may experience skin irritation, pain, and a prolonged recovery period, among other side effects.
Advantages of the Swift Device
Immune therapy has been shown to be effective at treating plantar warts, but until recently, it relied on injections or medications. Now, Dr. Rachel Balloch are able to treat the root cause of plantar warts with a new type of immune therapy. The Swift device offers several benefits:
- Less pain: Wart removal with the swift device involves minimal discomfort (lasting just two seconds)
- Minimal debridement: Traditional options like salicylic acid intentionally slough off sizable portions of tissue, causing pain and tenderness. Swift's microwave technology does not break the surface of the skin but instead penetrates the tissue to a pre-determined depth.
- Little to no recovery time: Patients can return to their normal activities immediately after treatment.
Understanding What to Expect
Microwave technology has been safely used in medicine for decades. During treatment at our Hartford County practice, the device will be used to agitate water molecules within the skin cells, which begin colliding and create heat. This stimulates the body’s natural immune response.
With the Swift device, our doctors are able to treat the root cause of plantar warts with a new type of immune therapy.
The swift device consists of a compact portable generator, designed to precisely deliver microwave energy through an applicator, and a simple interface which allows our doctors to customize each session. This type of plantar wart treatment is incredibly quick. Multiple warts can be treated during one session. The entire treatment can typically be completed in under 15 minutes.
Choose a Dedicated Specialist
Dr. Balloch will determine if this approach to treating plantar warts is right for you. As board-certified specialists and fellows of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, they have the unique background needed to provide the relief you need. Request a consultation online or give our Hartford County practice a call at 860-352-1871.
