Genital Warts (Human Papillomavirus): Surgery

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Surgery

You may have surgery to remove genital warts if they are widespread and medicine or freezing (cryotherapy) fails to remove them.

If you have a high-risk type of HPV that causes an abnormal Pap test, your doctor may recommend certain types of surgery. For more information about surgical methods to treat abnormal cell changes, see the topic Abnormal Pap Test.

Surgery Choices

Surgical methods that may be used include:

• Cryotherapy (cryosurgery).
• Electrocautery.
• Surgical excision.
• Laser surgery.
• Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP).

Surgical treatment for pregnant women

Surgical choices for pregnant women with genital warts include electrocautery, surgical excision, loop electrosurgical excision (LEEP), and laser surgery.

What To Think About

The success of surgery is related to the number of warts present. The success rate is higher and additional treatments are less likely to be required when surgery is performed on fewer and smaller warts. But surgery is less likely to be needed for a few small areas of warts.

Surgery may be more expensive than some other treatment choices.

Last updated:	July 02, 2008
Author:	Sandy Jocoy, RN
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH - Infectious Disease
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC