Do you suffer with verrucas?
Have you been hiding your feet, maybe for years, because of those same painful, stubborn, unsightly verrucas?
Have you tried every over-the-counter treatment with no success?
If this sounds like you, we may well have the solution you’ve been looking for.
What is Swift Microwave Treatment for Verrucas?
Swift Microwave Verruca Treatment is a relatively new technology, developed here in the UK. Swift uses microwaves to create heat in the infected skin to help trigger an immune response and fight the HPV virus which causes verrucae. The microwaves are applied to the skin using a special probe and they penetrate about 4mm to where the infection is located.
It is a quick treatment, and it needs no dressings, no after-care, and no needles! So if you are looking for a treatment that doesn’t impact your life, doesn’t stop you bathing, walking, playing sports or even swimming, then Swift is for you!
* All verrucas are, of course, different and a cure cannot be guaranteed for everyone.
How does Swift Microwave Therapy treat verrucas?
Infected tissue can exist several millimetres below the surface and can often be difficult to treat using traditional methods, resulting in either untreated tissue or significant damage.
Swift Microwave Therapy delivers a precise, highly controlled energy dose. As microwaves travel into the
tissue, water molecules begin colliding and creating localised heat energy – quickly
destroying all infected tissue within a predetermined depth.
In just seconds the Swift Microwave Verruca Treatment is complete and the healing cascade begins immediately.
Treated tissue is quickly replaced, repaired and regenerated.
What Happens During Swift Microwave Verruca Treatment?
Each area that is to be treated has the probe applied in 2 second bursts, for around 5-6 times per area. Does it hurt? It can be a little uncomfortable, but we always talk you through the treatment, and we can adjust the treatment if needed. It takes seconds to treat, and once completed, there is generally no pain afterwards. The treatment is normally adjusted to a lower setting for children.
It takes time for an immune response to develop, and it may take a few treatments to fully resolve a verruca. Treatment success depends on the immune response being triggered, and this varies in each individual. The average number of treatments is 2-3, spaced one month apart. Some people’s verrucae resolve after one treatment, very occasionally it can take more than three. A usual treatment plan would be up to 3 treatments, one a month, with a follow up after the third treatment, usually 8-10 weeks later. We’ve audited our clinic results, and the average time for verrucae to resolve is 18 weeks. The success rate within 3 treatments is around 80%.
We’ve been using Swift Microwave Treatment for verrucas in our verruca removal clinic for almost 3 years now, and we can safely say it is the most effective treatment we’ve ever used for verrucae. The results are great, but you must be prepared to follow the treatment plan to completion.
Who can have Swift Microwave Verruca Treatment?
Swift Microwave Therapy is suitable for most people, adults and children, with a few exceptions.
- People fitted with implanted electronic devices such as pacemakers,
- Pregnant women,
- Anyone with implanted metallic objects near to the verruca site (joint replacements/fixings etc. following surgery),
- Patients with neuropathy or circulatory problems.
If you are immunosuppressed, then treatment may be less successful, or take longer to be effective.
How long does it take to get rid of a verruca?
The answer to this question will vary for every single patient we see. Hopefully the case studies in the next section will give an understanding of how long it takes to get rid of a verruca!
For the majority of our patients that we use Swift Microwave Verruca Treatments for, their verrucae will resolve within 3 treatments, which would be any time from 4 weeks, up to a 6 month period. However, this isn’t the case for everyone. If you’d like to know how Swift Microwave Therapy has worked for some of our patients, in different ways, then read on for some case studies. They cover resolution of verrucae after 1, 2, 3 and more treatments.
So that's how long it can take to get rid of a verruca!
Not every verruca we treat will disappear quickly, although we are delighted with the ones that do. For those that are more stubborn, we don’t give up easily! We continue assessing progress and will carry out treatments on a case-by-case basis, depending on progress and after discussing with the patient.
Every patient we see is an individual, and each patient’s verrucae and immune systems are different. There is no easy answer to the question of how long it takes to get rid of a verruca. All we can say is that we try our hardest to treat them!
Swift Microwave Verruca Treatment Case Studies
We have now been using Swift Microwave Verruca Treatment in clinic since 2017 and have had some fantastic results for some of our patients. It is a treatment we love, as it’s quick and clean, and can really help our patients to get rid of really stubborn verrucae.
We thought we’d go back and show you some of the great results we’ve had with Swift over the years.
Case Study 1
One Treatment
This patient was a 21-year-old lady, who had multiple verrucae over both feet. They had been there for 12 years, and she had been receiving various treatments at an NHS clinic, including salicylic acid and silver nitrate application, with no success. She was referred to our verruca removal clinic by one of our NHS colleagues.
She attended the clinic not long after we started to use Swift, and she was the first patient we had treated with such extensive verrucae. After an assessment, the treatment was carried out, and a review was booked for 1 month later.
When she attended the review, we were delighted to find that all her verrucae had resolved. I’m not sure who was more emotional, her or me! This was one of the treatments that really cemented our faith in the Swift Microwave Verruca Treatment.
Case Study 2
Two Treatments
This gentleman was 44 years old when we carried out treatment. He had 2 large verruca lesions, one towards the back of each heel, as well as wart lesions on the fingers of his right hand. These had been there for several years. He had been attending Round House Podiatry for treatment of the verrucae on the heels using salicylic acid paste.
This acid treatment was in progress at the clinic when we first got our Swift machine, so we asked if he would agree to be one of our “guinea pig” patients using the Swift! He agreed, and we carried out his first treatment and booked a review in one month. On review, the lesions had improved but not resolved, so we carried out a second application of treatment. We were delighted when at the second review, all lesions had resolved, including the hand warts that we hadn’t treated with the Swift!
Case Study 3
Three Treatments
This 59-year-old lady came to us with two large verrucae, one under the ball of each foot. She’d had these verrucae for 10 years, and they were increasingly painful when playing sport.
We agreed to try the Swift Microwave Therapy and carried out 3 treatments, one month apart, monitoring progress at each appointment. If we reach 3 treatments and the lesions haven’t fully resolved, we review again after 3 months to give the immune system time to react to the verruca virus.
In this case, after the 3 month review, (so 6 months after starting treatment), the verrucae had greatly improved and were much less painful. Although they hadn’t fully resolved, they continued to improve month on month at review appointments. We agreed to give them time before we applied the Swift again.
We achieved full resolution just before 12 months after treatment without any further Swift applications. Our patient was delighted, and she can now play sport pain-free after 10 years!
Case Study 4
Five Treatments
This 48-year-old gentleman was referred to us by another Podiatrist, when the treatment they had been undergoing had not resolved the verruca. This verruca had been there for around 4 years. It was uncomfortable due to its position on the ball of the foot, just behind the toes.
After assessment, we started a course of Swift Microwave Verruca Treatment. Three treatments were carried out, each a month apart. After the 3rd treatment, and the further 3 month review period, the verruca had improved but not resolved. In this case, we would be encouraged by improvement to the appearance and hopeful of resolution, but then it would become static for a while and not show any signs of further improvement.
After continued review, a further 2 treatments were carried out over the next 12 months. With gradual improvement, we finally got resolution just short of 2 years after starting the treatment. We combined the Swift treatments with applications of silver nitrate at review appointments when the Swift was not used. This was one of the more stubborn and long lasting verrucae we have treated with the Swift. But shows that with perseverance and patience, we do strive to resolve as many verrucae as we can.
Case Study 5
Gone in Three Treatments
This result was for a young lad aged 12, the verrucas had been there for around 3 years. After 3 treatments with Swift, the largest lesion had fully resolved, and the smaller ones were just finishing clearing up. A great result, happy patient and happy Podiatrist!
Our next case study was a lovely lady, in her 50’s. She had had her verrucas also for around 3 years and they were quite extensive. 3 treatments later, and she was verruca free!
Case Study 6
Two treatments and verruca free
Our next case study was a teenage girl, whose verrucas had been present for around a year, and were causing issues with hobbies. Two treatments with Swift and the verrucas were gone.
We must say that Swift has different results for everyone. As verrucae are viral, we are attempting to produce an immune response to the virus to resolve verrucae. While we have some great results within 3 treatments for may people, for some it can take 4 or more treatments to resolve their verrucae. We assess lesions at each visit to advise if further Swift Microwave Verruca Treatments are needed or appropriate.
FAQs for Swift Microwave Treatment
Are you looking for help with a verruca? In this Swift guide we aim to answer some of your frequently asked questions about verrucas and provide information about their treatment.
Yes, Podiatrists deal with verrucae all the time. There are various treatment options for verrucae, your local Podiatrist will be able to tell you what treatments they have available. At Round House Podiatry our preferred verruca treatment is Swift Microwave Therapy.
As we’ve said above, our preferred verruca treatment is Swift Microwave Therapy. This pioneering treatment involves applying microwaves to the skin, creating heat within the tissues, and helping to trigger an inflammatory response for the body’s immune system to fight the verruca virus.
We also offer alternative therapies for those who are not suitable for the Swift treatment.
Our Swift Microwave verruca treatments are £105, carried out monthly, up to 3 sessions, followed by a review 3 months after the 3rd session if the verruca hasn’t fully resolved already.