Cryotherapy

Most times your appointment will be 30 minutes long but can vary depending on each patient. During your appointment the podiatrist will carry out an examination and address any specific concerns you may have, and if appropriate will complete a session of cryotherapy. The actual cryotherapy process consists of freezing in 3 x 20 second bursts of varied intensity with a short break in between each burst.

We usually advise patients to wait a couple of days before they resume physical activity, however, it really is up to the patient based on how their feeling, their individual discomfort levels and how the foot is healing. Again, this can be discussed in further detail during your appointment if you have any specific concerns.

Most warts tend not to ‘fall off’ as many plantar warts, such as verrucae, are actually inverted. In this case, they usually blister and then start the healing process, before another treatment 14 days later, if required.

Yes. You can book an initial appointment (if it is your first appointment) and during that appointment, the podiatrist will carry out an examination and, once you’ve agreed on a treatment plan, can carry out the treatment there and then. However, treatment during an initial appointment, although likely, cannot be guaranteed as the podiatrist may think another course of treatment is more appropriate or possibly even make a referral. Any necessary follow-up appointments will also be discussed.

No, we don’t use any anesthetic because cryotherapy isn’t deemed painful enough to warrant local anaesthetic. In fact, most people would find the anesthetic injection just as uncomfortable as the treatment itself. Some patients have requested it in the past but our podiatrist always explains why we don’t use it and, with his expert touch, none of our patients have felt they needed it after actually having the treatment.

When you remove a verruca or wart, there can be some scarring left behind but this is not normally due to treatment and usually caused by the virus itself. However, almost all scarring is completely unnoticeable and shouldn’t cause any further issues.

Generally speaking, most at home verruca and wart treatment are not very effective and tend not to work successfully. They do not use liquid nitrogen which is what is used during cryotherapy but a weaker gas mixture usually of propane mixed in dimethyl ether. These over the counter home treatments are fine to use if you would prefer but it’s always best to see a podiatrist because what you think is a verruca may sometimes turn out to be something more sinister, such as a skin cancer. Podiatrists can accurately diagnose the issue and recommend treatment options from there.

No. Our podiatrist is highly skilled and knowledgeable and would never administer treatment that could cause frostbite. Treatment is given in 3 x 20 second bursts which is not a prolonged amount of time that could cause frostbite.

It’s far better to tackle a wart as soon as you are aware of it than to leave it to grow bigger, multiply or cause infection in other areas of the same foot or infect both feet. They don’t often clear up on their own, and if on the feet can be painful. If anything unusual appears on your foot, it is always best to see a podiatrist quickly so they can diagnose it for you and recommend appropriate treatment.