Cryosurgery is a method of super-freezing tissue in order to destroy it. The technique is used to treat cancerous tumors, control pain, control bleeding, and reduce brain tumors.
The cold is introduced through a probe which has liquid nitrogen circulating through it. To destroy diseased tissue, the tissue is cooled to below -20 degrees Celsius. Other procedures that control pain or bleeding are cooled to a lesser degree to prevent tissue damage.
Cryosurgery is a highly effective treatment for a broad range of benign skin problems. With appropriate instruction and supervised experience, family physicians can master the technique quickly.
Cryosurgery is best suited for use in patients with light skin and for treatment of lesions in most non?hair-bearing areas of the body.
Spray methods include the timed spot freeze technique, the rotary or spiral pattern, and the paintbrush method.
Benign skin lesions that are suitable for freezing include actinic keratosis, solar lentigo, seborrheic keratosis, viral wart, molluscum contagiosum, and dermatofibroma.
Cryosurgery requires little time and fits easily into the physician’s office schedule. Advantages of this treatment include a short preparation time, low risk of infection, and minimal wound care. In addition, cryosurgery requires no expensive supplies or injectable anesthesia, and the patient does not have to return for suture removal.
Potential side effects include bleeding, blister formation, headache, hair loss, and hypopigmentation, but rarely scarring. Skin lesions often can be treated in a single session, although some require several treatments.