What should you know about electrocautery wart removal?

The clinician examines the wart, cleans the skin, and may numb the area with local anaesthetic. A cautery instrument delivers heat to the wart tissue, and the visible growth is removed or destroyed. The site can be tender and may develop a crust as it heals. The approach depends on the wart’s size, depth, location, and whether nearby skin is sensitive.

Because warts are linked to a viral infection in the skin, treatment of one visible wart does not ensure that another will not appear. Freezing, prescription creams, or another removal technique may be considered when cautery is unsuitable or when the wart returns.

Tell the clinician about diabetes, circulation problems, immune suppression, bleeding-related medicines, allergies to anaesthetic, or an implanted electrical device. Keep the treated area clean and covered as instructed. Avoid picking the crust, sharing towels or nail tools, and shaving across the site. Follow specific advice for foot or hand wounds so normal movement does not reopen it.

Get advice if pain, swelling, heat, or drainage is worsening instead of settling. Prompt review is appropriate for fever, spreading redness, repeated bleeding, or reduced movement caused by swelling. Arrange reassessment if the wart changes, bleeds without trauma, or the treated area does not heal as expected.

Ask how the wart was identified, why electrocautery fits its location, whether a sample is needed, and what alternatives are available. Clarify dressing changes, bathing, work or sports restrictions, possible pigment change or scarring, recurrence, and the follow-up plan.