The usual methods are:
Destruction of genital warts with cryotherapy
- Cryotherapy is frequently used to destroy warts. The lesions are destroyed by directly freezing them, with liquid nitrogen applied as a spray or through a cryoprobe. No local anesthesia is usually given and the pain is tolerable. It is considered as a safe method during pregnancy. It is repeated every 1-2 weeks until the complete elimination of the lesions.
Electro-cauterization of the genital warts
- Electrodiathermy is applied after local anesthesia, if there is a limited number of genital warts, or after general anesthesia if the lesions are many or extensive.
Laser surgery
- Laser ablation has significant advantages, but is used more rarely compared to the other methods because it is both more costly and requires special training by the doctor.
- A significant advantage of the method is that the laser beam can be directed by the colposcope toward hard-to-reach areas, where the doctor needs more light and magnification (e.g. the vagina, anus and urethra). The method is also better compared to the others when there are a large number of warts.
