Preserving Motion with a Decompression Osteotomy in Sydney

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Wart curettage is a highly effective surgical treatment for stubborn or painful plantar warts (verrucae) that have not responded to conservative care. If you are struggling with a persistent wart on the foot, wart curettage performed by an experienced podiatric surgeon in Sydney offers a definitive solution with rapid symptom relief.

What Is Wart Curettage?

Sometimes the standard care for wart lesion/s is not successful and often they are “scooped out” in the office.

A wart curettage is a minor surgical procedure that involves carefully excising/removing the wart. The wart lesion/s is removed with an instrument known as a curette (a sharp-edged handle scoop). The curette scoops the wart out by separating it from the surrounding skin adhesions and often the wart can be seen as one single encapsulated lesion. Following this, the surrounding skin is checked for any further wart-like tissue and an acid (Phenol) is then used to chemically cauterise any remaining wart cells. The aim is to excise the infected tissue entirely, reducing viral load and minimising the risk of recurrence. This procedure is commonly used for deep, painful, recurrent, or treatment-resistant plantar warts, particularly those causing discomfort during walking or standing.

When Is Wart Curettage Recommended?

A Sydney podiatric surgeon may recommend wart curettage if you have:

  • Long-standing plantar warts resistant to topical treatments
  • Painful warts affecting walking, work, or sport
  • Bleeding or rapidly enlarging warts
  • Mosaic warts or clustered lesions – multiple lesions on one or both feet
  • Recurrent verrucae despite previous treatments

Benefits of Wart Curettage Surgery

Choosing wart curettage in Sydney provides several advantages:

  • Immediate removal of wart tissue
  • High success rates for resistant plantar warts
  • Local anaesthetic procedure – the procedure can be performed in the clinic or if the patient feels more comfortable it can also be performed under light sedation in a day hospital setting. This is usually the case for patients that have a fear of needles or have multiple wart lesions and do not want to have numerous injections on their foot
  • Faster resolution compared with repeated conservative treatments

The Wart Curettage Procedure: What to Expect

Your plantar wart curettage is performed under local anaesthetic to ensure comfort. Once the area is numb, the wart is surgically removed, and the base is treated to reduce viral persistence. A sterile dressing is applied to support healing.

The procedure typically takes 45-60 minutes, and you are able to walk out of the clinic on the same day with a large dressing around your foot. You will be able to wear an open sandal or a post op surgical sandal can be issued if that is more comfortable. You will need to rest and elevate the foot to help minimise bleeding and pain. There are no sutures/stitches used in this type of procedure and the body will heal the wound.

Pain is usually managed with paracetamol and rest. Full healing and return to physical activity may take a few more weeks. If necessary our podiatric surgeon Dr Abdel Kak can prescribe a stronger pain killer or antibiotics to help with your pain control.