Cryotherapy (or cryosurgery) is a method that can be employed to destroy irregular skin growths, including genital warts. Its concept is simple and is based on the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze the infected area and trigger a healing process. Here, we shall provide an overview of the whole procedure, from the moment a patient first has cryotherapy for genital warts until their rehabilitation is complete.
Cryotherapy for genital warts is generally recommended for isolated external warts that are still in their growing phase. It is not recommended for widespread cases. At first, the infected tissue is sprayed with liquid nitrogen, which essentially freezes it. The tissue is then allowed to recover its normal temperature, and depending on the site of treatment and the size of the warts, this cycle may be repeated a few times. During cryotherapy for genital warts, the patient may experience a burning sensation of mild to moderate level.

Recovery
After undergoing cryotherapy for genital warts, the patient will have to wait a period of one to three weeks for the completion of the healing process. Cryotherapy is an outpatient procedure, and once it is over, the patient can return home. In the next few days, a blister will form around the treated area, and inside it, the skin will begin to heal. Several days later, the blister and the genital wart inside it will simply drop off the patient’s skin, which will soon recover its original form.

During the recovery period, the patient should completely abstain from sexual intercourse. It’s important to know that the patient may experience various symptoms, such as irritation or mild soreness, pain, swelling or extended blisters in the treated area. Necrotic tissue is also expected to fall off. All of these signs can be expected and should not be a cause of worry unless they persist for more than a week.
However, if you experience fever, bleeding, constant pain, or if you notice an accumulation of pus, you should contact your physician immediately.

Results
If administered properly, cryotherapy for genital warts can be an extremely successful procedure that can remove more than 90% of warts. However, it is important to know that it will only do that much – it cannot combat the human papillomavirus (HPV) itself. Unfortunately, only the immune system can do that, and scientists have yet to reach an agreement on whether it can be cleared completely or it is reduced to undetectable levels. But even in the unfortunate case that symptoms reappear, cryotherapy is an excellent method for the treatment of genital warts.