If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, your doctor or oncologist may suggest undergoing a procedure called cryoablation to treat your cancer. Cryoablation is a minimally invasive procedure that uses cold temperatures to treat different types of cancers. In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about cryoablation including what it is, how it works, and more.
What is cryoablation?
Cryoablation, also called cryotherapy or cryosurgery, is a form of cancer treatment that uses extreme cold to freeze and destroy cancerous cells, including tumors. The procedure can be used to treat tumors located on or around a variety of organs and areas, including the liver, kidneys, breasts, bones, prostate, cervix, and lungs.
How does cryoablation work?
Cryoablation employs imaging guidance to help guide the cryoprobe, which is a thin needle that injects liquid nitrogen or argon gas to create the intense cold. Radiologists use image-guidance methods such as ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI to help guide the cryoprobe to specific sites of treatment located inside the body.
What happens during cryoablation?
During cryoablation, the cryoprobe is inserted directly into a cancerous tumor, then nitrogen or argon gas enters through the cryoprobe to freeze the tissue. After this, the tumor is given time to thaw. The entire process is repeated a few times during each session. Cryoablation can be repeated, and it can also be an alternative option for people who cannot undergo surgery or radiation due to age or other medical problems.
Who performs cryoablation?
Cryoablation is performed by an Interventional Radiologist. Interventional Radiologists are specially trained in the use of imaging techniques to guide certain surgical procedures used to diagnose and treat many different conditions. Interventional Radiology strives to diagnose and treat patients using the least invasive techniques to lessen the overall risks associated with open surgery.
How long does cryoablation take?
Depending on a number of factors, including the size of the tumor and the area being treated, cryoablation should take around 2-3 hours in total.
Cryoablation can be a beneficial alternative to more invasive, traditional procedures used to treat the same type of cancer. Because cryoablation is less invasive, the recovery time is often significantly shorter than traditional surgeries. To see if you’re an ideal candidate for cryoablation, speak with your doctor or make an appointment with one of our board-certified Interventional Radiologists today.