Plantar warts are defined by MayoClinic.com as skin growths on the soles of the feet. Plantar warts are commonly found beneath pressure points such as the heels or balls of the feet. These warts vary in shape, from fleshy and raised to hard, flat and well defined. Plantar warts may be a benign condition that does not call for any treatment. However, sometimes they need to be removed because of pain or spread and multiplication. Surgical removal is considered a last resort after the failure of other treatment modalities.
Scarring
According to MayoClinic.com, scarring is a potential complication of plantar wart surgery. When doctors cauterize plantar warts using an electric needle and then remove it by curetting, they have to exercise the utmost care so as to minimize scar formation. Nevertheless, scarring may occur.
Pain
MayoClinic.com notes that surgery for removal of plantar warts may be painful, which could make it an unsuitable method of treatment for children. Before electrodissection and curettage, a doctor applies a local anesthetic cream to ease the pain. The pain from the procedure may persist a few hours after the treatment. Laser surgery is also quite painful, notes MayoClinic.com. Since a few sessions of laser therapy may be required for removal of plantar warts, the pain could be a significant disadvantage, rendering laser surgery inconvenient for many patients.
Recurrence
After incurring the expense and trouble of undergoing plantar warts removal through surgery, it is very disappointing and frustrating if the patient experiences recurrence. Recurrence is mentioned by the American Academy of Dermatology as a cumbersome complication. It may even seem that no time has elapsed between the treatment and the emergence of new warts. This is owing to the nature of the development of warts. Warts, whether of the plantar or common variety, are proliferations due to the infection of part of the skin by a human papillomavirus. Before a wart is removed, it may shed viruses and infect the adjacent skin, leading to the development of more warts. The best plan of attack against this complication is to remove warts as soon as they appear before they can infect adjacent skin, according to the AAD.
