Treatment of a very long standing verruca
A Swift® Microwave Treatment success story
When we first purchased the Swift Microwave Treatment machine back in 2021 we were very impatient and excited to help patients wave goodbye to their pesky verrucas. Verruca treatments had not changed in decades, and these older treatments had modest success rates at best (1, 2). So we were keen to start using this new innovative therapy!
One of the first patients we treated was at best vaguely optimistic as to its success levels, and having had their verruca for around 15 years, honestly felt like they would never be free from it!
The patient presented in clinic in April 2021 with this large verruca under the right foot. It had a thick layer of callus over the top and was extremely uncomfortable. The patient really hated the sight of it and kept their feet covered up all the time, even on holiday.
Over the years many podiatrists and GPs had attempted treatment with topical products and cryotherapy, and the patient thought they had tried every product available to buy over the counter in the chemist!
Having exhausted all the options easily available (except needling which we also offer and will blog about soon), we were their last resort. Challenge accepted!
Following assessment and discussion of their treatment options the patient opted to try our new Swift machine.
Over a period of 9 weeks three Swift treatments were undertaken following removal of the overlying hard skin. No treatment side effects or complications were reported other than a little tenderness for a couple of days after each treatment. And the patient was able to go about their day to day activities as usual, without having to think about or do anything to the verruca themselves between appointments.
Prior to the third Swift treatment the verruca was a little more uncomfortable than usual for approximately 7 days but we could not determine if this was due to the thick callus build up, patient activity levels, the treatment, or perhaps it was the verruca starting to resolve?
Four months following the third and final treatment the patient returned for a review.
Guess what? The verruca had completely gone. Happy tears of relief were shed by the patient, and to this day it is the most satisfying outcome we have had in terms of speed, effectiveness and patient satisfaction.
So how exactly does Swift work?
It is well known that warts and verrucas are difficult to treat. The virus causing verrucas seems to be able to hide from the immune system. Having a verruca for a long time does not mean you have anything wrong with your immune system, it just needs a nudge to recognize the virus is there. This is where Swift comes in...
Microwave heat things up, we all know that, but how will that help your verruca?
Swift works by stimulating the local immune system to fight the virus causing the verruca (2). The immune system is very complicated, but basically Swift works by using microwaves to shake up water molecules in the skin. This warms the skin to a level of between 41 and 44 degrees centigrade (1), which stresses the skin and causes the release of proteins called heat shock proteins (HSP). HSP then activates the immune system so that the body can fight off the virus causing the verruca.
Research has shown that Swift causes verrucas to shrink and resolve, generally without causing any skin damage or inflammation (2), so patients do not have any wounds following treatment and in most cases do not experience any post operative pain or complications (3).
The published evidence indicates that Swift is up to 83% effective after 3 to 5 treatments (2, 4, 5, 6), even for verrucas that have been present for many years. Swift has been shown to significantly reduce the pain caused by verrucas, even in those who did not full resolve with treatment (4). It is therefore the most effective verruca treatment currently available. Swift is a quick treatment which does not require the use of anaesthesia. And the patient, other than checking their verruca regularly, does not have to do anything to the verruca between appointments.
In conclusion Swift is an effective and convenient treatment. And we love it, as did the patient discussed in this blog! We are very grateful this patient allowed us to share their story and photos.
Do you have a verruca? What are you waiting for?
Please click the link if you would like more information about Swift Microwave Treatment
To book an appointment for a chat about Swift treatment please either call us on 0161 427 4937 or send an email with your availability to info@mrpodiatrist.co.uk
References:
Bristow IR, Ardern-Jones M. Treating verrucae effectively with microwave energy – are we getting warmer? Podiatry Now. 2017;20(6):21-3.
Bristow IR, Lim W, Lee A, Holbrook D, Savelyeva N, Thomson P, et al. Microwave therapy for cutaneous human papilloma virus infection. Eur J Dermatol. 2017;27(5):511-8.
Bristow IR, Webb C, Ardern-Jones M. The Successful Use of a Novel Microwave Device in the Treatment of a Plantar Wart. Case reports in dermatology. 2017;9:102-7.
Gupta AK, Wang T, Cooper EA, Conenello RM, & Bristow IR. The treatment of plantar warts using microwave - A review of 85 consecutive cases in the United States. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2023;22:2729-2736.
Hagon W, Hagon J, Noble G, Brenton-Rule A, Stewart S and I. Bristow I., Microwave therapy for the treatment of plantar warts. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 2023 16(1):37.
Solomon K & Yip V. The novel treatment of children with viral warts using microwave treatment. Skin Health and Disease. 2023 Dec;3(6):e291