Why More Patients Are Choosing Cryosurgery

Why More Patients Are Choosing Cryosurgery

miltex cryosurgery

Cryosurgery is a specialized surgical method which uses freezing to remove or neutralize abnormal tissue in a way similar to that of cryoablation. Although cryosurgery is a relatively new procedure, the National Cancer Institute notes that doctors are already finding it effective for treating certain cancers. As a result, cryosurgery is increasing in popularity among cancer patients.

What Is Cryosurgery?


A variation of cryotherapy, cryosurgery removes abnormal tissue (particularly tumors) through freezing. Common applications include both external tumors (such as precancerous skin growths) and internal tumors (such as bone tumors).

By contrast, cryotherapy as a general non-surgical practice involves using cold temperatures to treat multiple conditions through ice baths and cold chambers. However, cryosurgery remains the most valid and effective variant of cryotherapy, demonstrating similarities with and a similar efficacy to cryoablation.

How Does Cryosurgery Work?

Cryosurgical Console System
Cryosurgery equipment and procedures vary depending on the area of treatment. For external tumors or skin growths, low-temperature gas (usually liquid nitrogen) is applied directly to the affected area using either a spray gun or cotton swab. This process differs somewhat from cryoablation, where cold temperatures are typically administered through needles.

Treating internal tumors with cryosurgery requires a cryoprobe, which is a specialized cryosurgery device consisting of a hollow tube. Using an MRI, surgeons guide the cryoprobe to the affected area and run low-temperature gas through the tube, resulting in freezing. The frozen tumor, once thawed, will either be naturally reabsorbed by the body or become benign.

Conditions Treatable with Cryosurgery

While cryosurgery is not appropriate for all cancers, the National Cancer Institute notes that cryosurgery is especially effective at treating the following cancers:

  • Early stages of skin cancer and precancerous skin growths
  • Precancerous conditions affecting the cervix
  • Retinoblastoma
Generally, cryosurgery is most effective for external pre-cancerous growths or early stages of other cancers. Further, advanced stages of cancer will likely require more thorough treatment methods.

Potential Health Benefits of Cryosurgery

As cryosurgery procedures are largely non-invasive, it has quickly become a preferred treatment option for those with precancerous conditions or early stages of cancers. Even the most invasive cases are limited to making a small incision for the cryoprobe.

Further, cryosurgery is generally less expensive than traditional surgery and often requires less recovery time.

Potential Side Effects of Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery currently has no known direct side effects; however, its long-term efficacy for cancer treatment is still uncertain. Further, the National Cancer Institute notes that cryosurgery could miss microscopic cancer spread, and is best used almost exclusively for isolated, early, or precancerous conditions as a result.

Despite these uncertainties, the benefits of cryosurgery tend to outweigh the risks for most patients and procedures.

Adopting Cryosurgery at Your Practice

Due to its simplicity, adopting cryosurgery at your practice requires only minimal training and the purchase of basic cryosurgery systems, specifically a cryoprobe and/or a low-temperature gas spray gun.

For more information on cryosurgery equipment and how you can best incorporate cryosurgery into your practice, call our medical device experts at 877-646-3300.

Sources

  1. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/type...