Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Cryosurgery?
Cryosurgery is a form of cryotherapy, specifically a procedure that uses extreme cold to destroy tissue. The process is cryonecrosis, i.e. tissue destruction by freezing.
How
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Cryosurgery?
Cryosurgery is a form of cryotherapy, specifically a procedure that uses extreme cold to destroy tissue. The process is cryonecrosis, i.e. tissue destruction by freezing.
How are tissues destroyed during Cryosurgery?
Tissue destruction occurs when cells are rapidly brought down to a temperature of at least -80°F / -62°C and ice crystals form. The ice crystals break the cell membrane, destroying the cell organelles and protein matrices. Water then rushes into the surrounding area causing a blister and a disruption of the local blood supply.
How is freezing achieved?
The Joule-Thomson (JT) effect is a thermodynamic process that occurs when a fluid expands from high pressure to low pressure. The Freezpen works with very practical cartridges containing nitrous oxide (N20) at 725 psi. The cryogen is accurately applied to the lesion where it expands at -127°F / -89°C, rapidly resulting in an in-tissue temperature of -113°F / -80°C.
Liquid nitrogen is colder
Cell destruction in all benign tissues is achieved at -80°F / -62°C. N2 (liquid nitrogen at –320°F / -196°C) and N20 (nitrous oxide at –128°F / -89°C) both achieve an in-tissue temperature of -113°F / -80°C within seconds. However, the excessive power of N2 is not required and may be damaging in many cases, such as for precise cryosurgery of verrucae and molluscum contagiosum, especially in children, and treatment of esthetic imperfections.
What are the quality criteria for cryosurgery treatment and the effect on the treatment?
It starts with the clinical evaluation of the size and the depth of the lesion.