Cryotherapy is a method of superfreezing tissue in order to destroy it. This article discusses cryotherapy of the skin.
Alternative NamesCryosurgery - skin
DescriptionCryotherapy is done using a cotton swab that has been dipped into liquid nitrogen or a probe that has liquid nitrogen flowing through it.
The procedure is done in the doctor's office. It usually takes less than a minute.
The freezing may cause some discomfort. Your health care provider may apply a numbing medicine to the area first.
IndicationsCryotherapy or cryosurgery may be used to:
Rarely, cryotherapy may be used to treat some skin cancers. However, skin that is destroyed during cryotherapy cannot be examined under a microscope. A skin biopsy is needed if your health care provider wants to check the lesion for signs of cancer.
RisksCryotherapy risks include:
Cryotherapy works well for many patients. Some skin lesions, especially warts, may need to be treated more than once.
ConvalescenceThe treated area may look red afterwards. A blister will often form within a few hours. It may appear clear or have a red or purple color.
You may have a little pain for up to 3 days.
Most of the time, no special care is needed during healing. The area should be washed gently once or twice a day and kept clean. A bandage or dressing should only be needed if the area rubs against clothes or may be easily injured.
A scab forms and will usually peel away within 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the area treated.
Call your health care provide if:
Habif TP. Dermatologic surgical procedures. In: Habif TP, ed. Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 27.
Ibrahim SF, Brown MD. Actinic keratoses. In: Lebwohl M, ed. Treatment of Skin Disease: Comprehensive Therapeutic Strategies. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2009.
Warts, herpes simplex, and other viral infections. In: Habif TP, ed. Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 12.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 09/14/2011
Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Healthy Body Healthy Mind - 2003 Prostate Cryotherapy 3-3 was released on: USA: 16 February 2005
application of cold
The goal of cryotherapy is to freeze and destroy targeted skin growths while preserving the surrounding skin from injury.
50593
Cervical cryotherapy, or freezing, usually lasts about five minutes and causes a slight amount of discomfort.
Cervical cryotherapy is a procedure which involves freezing an area of abnormal tissue on the cervix. This tissue gradually disappears and the cervix heals.
Cryotherapy poses little risk and can be well-tolerated by elderly and other patients who are not good candidates for other surgical procedures.
31635
Cervical cryotherapy is a standard method used to treat cervical dysplasia, meaning the removal of abnormal cell tissue on the cervix.
elicited acts and commanded acts elicited acts - these are the actions w/c is done in the will alone commanded acts those acts involving both body and mind necessary to carry out the elicited acts
Cryotherapy with Liquid nitrogen is a treatment
According to Newton's first law of motion, as a force acts on a body then the body gets accelerated in the direction of the force.