What is cryosurgery?
Cryosurgery (or cryotherapy) is the application of extreme low temperatures for the destruction of abnormal (tumor) cells or “diseased” tissues. For the freezing of the tissue is used nitrous oxide. Cryotherapy can be better described as a procedure, not as an operation, as far as surgery is usually associated with anesthesia, tissue breakdown, recovery, post-operative care, post-operative medication, and thread removal.
Cryotherapy is used very often in veterinary practices around the world. The latest innovations in cryogenic application methods have made cryosurgery a preferred surgical intervention by veterinarians to treat their patients.
Since all cells in the body contain a high percentage of water, the application of very low temperatures leads to crystal formation, freezing and death of target cells and tissues, and acts on the surrounding sensory nerves, reducing pain and discomfort.
When is cryosurgery used?
- Tumor formation throughout the skin, eyelids, ears, perianal area, oral cavity, etc.
- Distichiasis (abnormal or extra lashes)
- Keloid
- Keratosis
- Mast cell tumors
- Tumors on the nose and the lips
- Papilomi
- Haemangiomas
- Cysts of sebaceous glands
- Interdigital cysts
- Peri-anal tumors
- Epoulis and others..
Benefits of Veterinary Cryosurgery:
- It allows complete destruction of the selected volume of biological tissue;
- Access to “diseased” tissues, subjected to cryodestruction, is performed without trauma to healthy tissues;
- Local or general anesthesia is not required;
- The method is painless and even reduces the pain in the area;
- Cryotherapy allows rapid recovery;
- The minimal traumatic consequences, the short duration of action and the lack of need for anesthesia essentially broaden the circle of patients for whom other surgery is contraindicated;
- Another plus of cryosurgery is that the frozen lesion ultimately dies and falls. This means there are no painful cuts or threads when there is a risk of pulling out of the patient and opening the wound.