Laser Surgery for Genital Warts

How Well It Works

In studies, laser surgery removed warts in about 20 to 40 out of 100 people. But warts may return after surgery.¹

Laser surgery is a safe treatment for pregnant women.

Risks

Laser surgery may cause any of the following:

• Pain, swelling, or itching
• Discharge from the vagina or penis
• Sores in the area treated
• Tissue that sticks together
• Shedding of dead tissue
• Scarring
• Urination that occurs in a wide, spraying stream, for treatment done in the urethra. Scarring of the penis is a possible side effect that can result in problems with urination or erection.

References

Citations

1. Bonnez W, Reichman RC (2010). Papillomaviruses. In GL Mandell et al., eds., Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, 7th ed., vol. 2, pp. 2035-2049. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.

Credits