Plantar Wart Removal: Why Targeting the Root Cause Matters
Learn why plantar wart removal requires more than surface treatment — Gangnam Standard Orthopedics uses ultrasound assessment and specialist surgery to address the root viral cause.
Wart removal and wart treatment — plantar warts and sole warts require accurate removal of the underlying cause.
One week earlier, the patient had undergone cryotherapy for a plantar wart at another clinic, but felt no improvement.
When told that weekly visits for an entire year would be necessary, the patient found the prospect of a year-long treatment course inconvenient and searched for a clinic specializing in plantar warts, which is how they found us.
Because the patient's occupation places heavy demand on the feet and requires them to be in good condition, careful and thorough care was essential. That appears to be why they chose to visit our clinic.
Although we specialize in warts, we do not treat any plantar wart patient as a simple or straightforward case — each patient receives attentive, individualized care.
Please keep in mind that we differ from general clinics that only examine the surface and treat the outer layer of the wart.
At Gangnam Standard Orthopedics, Dr. Jo Ju-won — our lead physician and a foot specialist who examines the foot with sincere dedication — is always on-site.
We are a clinic specializing in plantar wart and sole wart surgery, with a foot specialist who personally performs every step — from anesthesia to the surgical procedure itself.
Ultrasound image showing viral activity of the wart at the upper area of the big toe.
Ultrasound examination is used to confirm viral activity in the wart area, allowing us to assess how actively the virus is proliferating.
Ultrasound image showing viral activity of the wart at the lower area of the big toe.
Compared with the wart at the upper area of the big toe, stronger viral activity was confirmed in the wart at the lower area. Because significantly more blood vessels are active in the lower area, it was determined that a wider excision is required there.
When warts have spread across the sole of the foot, it is important to identify exactly which area harbors the most active viral activity driving that spread.
For actively proliferating warts, it is important to excise a margin wider than the visibly affected area.
To identify the boundary of the plantar wart and excise only the wart tissue while preserving healthy surrounding tissue, the outer surface of the plantar wart must be carefully removed and the boundary closely observed before the procedure.
As the wart had invaded only down to the dermis without involving the fat layer, removal was limited to the dermal layer.
Because the blood vessels and nerves within the dermis must be addressed to prevent the wart from spreading, electrocautery and curettage were performed.
This image shows the wart removal procedure — curettage is being carried out on the sites where warts were present at both the upper and lower areas of the big toe.
The appearance immediately after plantar wart removal surgery. Although it may look unpleasant, new tissue will fill the area within about one month, so there is no need to worry.
Because weight-bearing and walking after plantar wart removal surgery can cause some bleeding, suturing was performed for the purpose of hemostasis. As the sutures were placed solely for hemostasis, they are scheduled to be removed after one week.
Wart tissue removed during plantar wart removal surgery.
For plantar warts, sole warts, toe warts, and inter-toe warts, wart removal surgery should be performed at a specialist clinic to ensure complete treatment.
Specialist clinic for plantar warts, sole warts, toe warts, and inter-toe warts.
Directions to Gangnam Standard Orthopedics near Gangnam Station
Approximately 4 minutes on foot from Exit 5 of Gangnam Station.
From Exit 5 of Gangnam Station, walk 275 m toward the intersection in front of Woosung Apartment — cross the crosswalk once in the direction of the Paris Baguette Gangnam Station Seocho branch visible ahead — then look immediately to your right, pass the Sangwon Climbing Gym, and we are located on the 2nd floor of the building housing Nuage Gangnam Station Café and Cheongdam Witch Gimbap Gangnam Station.
※ Gangnam Standard Orthopedics is an officially registered medical institution able to provide care for foreign patients.
