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Cryotherapy

Credits: authored by MedSquirrel Staff. Please refer to your own medical practitioner for a final perspective, assessment or evaluation.

 

What is cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is a procedure to treat skin lesions (or growths) by freezing them with a very cold substance called liquid nitrogen. The aim is to kill the lesions without damaging nearby healthy skin.

 

Why do I need cryotherapy?

Your doctor may recommend cryotherapy if you have one of the following types of skin lesions:

• A precancerous lesion, such as actinic keratosis
• A cancerous lesion, such as basal cell or squamous cell cancer
• A noncancerous lesion, such as an angioma, seborrhoeic keratosis, or wart

 

What happens during cryotherapy?

Your doctor may first scrape the top of the lesion, especially if it is thick and scaly. The liquid nitrogen will be applied with either a cotton swab, spray, gel or a cryoprobe. The method used will depend on the facilities available at your doctor’s practice, but also on your doctor’s personal preference. The cold substance is left on for 5-30 seconds, or until a halo of ice forms around the lesion being treated. The frozen lesion will slowly thaw out. The process of freezing and thawing may be repeated. The skin cells start to die when they are frozen.

 

What should I expect during and after cryotherapy?

During and immediately after the procedure:

• You may have discomfort, burning, or pain
• Your skin may be red, swollen and irritated, it may bleed, and a blister may form
• If cryosurgery was done to treat a lesion on your face, you may have a headache after the procedure

 

After the procedure:

• After a few days the area may start looking a little black - this is normal and is a result of the freezing temperature killing the cells of the unwanted lesion
• You could get an infection if the treatment caused the skin to break
• The treated area may take a long time to heal and could even scar
• The treatment may not be effective, and you may need cryosurgery again
• The treatment may be effective, but a new lesion grows in the same area
• Your nerves may be damaged causing your skin to become numb
• The treated skin may become lighter or darker
• There could be hair loss in the treated area

 

Small wounds may heal in 4 to 6 weeks. Large wounds may take as long as 14 weeks to heal.

 

What should I do after cryotherapy?

Carefully wash the wound with soap and water. If your wound has loose crusts, you can gently remove them. Dry the area and put on new, clean bandages as directed. Change your bandages when they get wet or dirty.

Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic ointment to prevent or treat an infection, or a steroid cream to help decrease redness, pain, and swelling.

 

When should I contact my doctor?

• If the wound is draining yellow or green fluid, or blood soaks through the bandage
• If it seems as if the treatment didn’t work, or new lesions appear

 

 

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