Papilloma or plantar wart



SWIFT TECHNOLOGY · plantar warts · ALICANTE

Plantar warts: treatment with Swift technology

Precision medical microwaves. No burns. No scars. No needles.

If you’ve been trying for months to get rid of a plantar wart without success—cryotherapy, salicylic acid, patches, curettage...—there is a solution. At Clínica San Román, we use Swift® technology, a medical device that applies controlled microwaves to the wart and activates the body’s immune response to eliminate the human papillomavirus (HPV). Backed by a randomized clinical trial published in 2025 for resistant plantar warts.

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Plantar Wart or Foot Papilloma — Clínica San Román Alicante: Swift Treatment

Backed by 45 years of experience

45+ years old

Family clinic founded in 1979

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First in Europe to receive American Board certification

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Languages: ES · EN · NL · FR · DE

Led by Dr. José Manuel San Román Pérez (founder) and Dr. Israel San Román Sirvent, a Fellow of the American Academy of Ambulatory Foot & Ankle Surgery since 1986.

Clinical features of plantar warts — a lesion caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV)

What is a plantar wart?

A plantar wart —also known as a plantar papilloma or verruca plantaris—is a benign skin lesion caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). It appears on the sole of the foot, where body weight pushes it inward, giving it its characteristic "inverted" and painful shape.

HPV enters the skin through micro-tears or cuts in warm, humid environments (swimming pools, locker rooms, gyms, communal showers). This is why plantar warts are particularly common in children, teenagers, and athletes, although they can appear at any age.

How to Identify a Plantar Wart

  • A round or oval lesion on the sole of the foot, often under the metatarsal heads, the heel, or the toes.
  • Black dots in the center (clotted capillaries) — a characteristic sign.
  • Well-defined edges with thickened skin around them.
  • It disrupts the skin's normal lines (fingerprints): this is what distinguishes it from a callus.
  • Pain when pinching from the side (Dellaporta's sign), rather than when pressing on top.

Wart or callus?

They are sometimes confused. A callus (heloma) is a reactive thickening of the skin caused by pressure or friction, with no viral involvement; the skin’s texture remains intact, and it hurts when pressed vertically. A wart is an HPV infection; it disrupts the skin’s surface, has black dots, and is painful when pinched from the side. When in doubt, the diagnosis is confirmed with a dermatoscope during the office visit.

Symptoms: When Should You Be Concerned?

  • Pain when walking, as if stepping on a sharp "pebble."
  • Pain when pressing on the side of the area.
  • Warts that grow larger or new ones that appear around them (mosaic warts).
  • Bleeding when filing or applying pressure.
  • Change in color or appearance: darkening, ulceration, rapid growth.

🔴 When to seek medical attention

  • The wart has been there for more than 2–3 months and hasn't gone away with over-the-counter treatments.
  • It hurts when you walk or limits your daily activities.
  • New warts appear around the original one.
  • If you have diabetes or are immunosuppressed, your treatment requires special care.
  • The lesion has an unusual appearance: differential diagnosis with other skin conditions.

Early diagnosis makes treatment much easier. Old and widespread warts are harder to remove.

Symptoms of plantar warts — pain when walking and multiple lesions

Swift®: Precision Microwave Treatment for Plantar Warts

The most advanced technology for stubborn warts. Backed by a randomized clinical trial (2025).

Swift® technology is a medical device developed by Emblation (United Kingdom) that applies microwave energy to the plantar wart for about 5 seconds per spot. This energy generates a controlled increase in temperature in the area, which causes the controlled destruction of HPV-infected tissue and stimulates the body’s immune response to recognize and eliminate the virus.

What makes it different?

  • No anesthesia required: the procedure takes just a few seconds per spot.
  • No cuts, no bleeding, no scars. The skin remains intact.
  • No bandages or post-operative care: you walk out and get back to your normal life right away.
  • It works even on deep warts, where cryotherapy or salicylic acid can't reach.
  • Suitable for people with diabetes and immunosuppressed patients.
  • Backed by scientific evidence: a randomized clinical trial published in *Archives of Dermatological Research* (2025).

Swift® vs. Other Treatments for Plantar Warts

TreatmentPain duringSessionsRecoveryEffectiveness
Swift® MicrowaveMild to moderate (5 sec)3–4 in total, spaced 4 weeks apartNone. Normal life High, even in hardy varieties
Cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen)Intense and poignantSeveral times, every 2–3 weeksBlister, sometimes painfulModerate (~45%)
Salicylic acidPainlessApply daily for several weeksRestriction on getting your feet wetRemove it if the wart is deep
Surgical curettageUnder local anesthesia1 sessionHealing takes several weeksDischarged, but with recurrences and scarring
Cantharidin/5-FU/bleomycinModerateVariableAmpoulesVariable
Los resultados pueden variar según cada paciente y el estado de la verruga.
Swift Treatment Using Medical Microwaves for Plantar Warts — San Román Clinic

What is a Swift session like?

  1. Examination and diagnosis: We use a dermatoscope to confirm that it is a wart (not a callus).
  2. Preparation: We gently peel back the keratin layer covering the wart so that the microwave energy can better reach the infected tissue.
  3. Application: Apply the Swift device for about 5 seconds per spot. It may feel like a sharp prick, which goes away as soon as you stop applying it.
  4. End of the session: You walk out, without bandages. No restrictions.
  5. Follow-up: We’ll evaluate you again in 4 weeks. Typically, a total of 3–4 sessions are needed, although some cases are resolved sooner.

Other treatment options (when Swift isn't the best choice)

Although Swift is our treatment of choice for stubborn plantar warts, not all cases are the same. Depending on the size, number, location, and patient profile, we may recommend:

  • Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen for small, superficial, and recent warts.
  • Bleomycin injection in selected cases of multiple or recalcitrant warts.
  • High-concentration salicylic acid under the supervision of a podiatrist.
  • Curettage with electrocoagulation under local anesthesia in cases involving a large volume of tissue.
  • Monitoring of young children with recent warts (up to 65% heal spontaneously within 2 years if they are caused by HPV type 1).

⚠️ Personalized treatment. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The podiatrist assesses the type of wart, how long it has been present, previous treatments, and the patient’s profile to recommend the treatment with the best balance of effectiveness and comfort.

First podiatry consultation at Clínica San Román in Alicante

Your first appointment with us

Free initial consultation with no obligation. During a visit, we do the following:

  1. Differential diagnosis using a dermatoscope to confirm that it is a wart and not a callus, a foreign object, or another condition.
  2. Assessment of the size, depth, and number of lesions.
  3. Review of medical history: duration of illness, previous treatments, comorbidities.
  4. Personalized treatment plan and fixed-price quote.
  5. Preventive measures to avoid reinfection and transmission to family members.

We provide service in Spanish, English, German, French, and Dutch.

Frequently Asked Questions About Plantar Warts

📋 About warts

🌊 About the Swift® treatment

❌ Myths

Request your free consultation at Clínica San Román Alicante

Say goodbye to plantar warts. Say goodbye to pain.

We have the technology, the experience, and the procedures. The initial consultation is free and requires no obligation. In just one visit, we'll let you know which treatment is best for you and how long it will take.

📞 +34 965 921 156
✉️ info@clinicasanroman.com
📍 Av. del Dr. Ramón y Cajal 1, 03001 Alicante