Cryosurgery - it is an effective way to treat many benign skin diseases. Best of all, this method is suitable for patients with light skin; moreover, they are most effective in the treatment of the skin without hair.

Cryodestruction already started using about a hundred years ago. As the first cryogenic liquid oxygen and used the so-called carbonic snow. Liquid nitrogen is first used in the 1940s, and now it is the most widely used cryogenic. If sixty years ago, he applied to the skin with a sterile cotton sticks, but now it usually uses a special spray or cryoprobe - New medical instruments made use of liquid nitrogen is more effective and safe.

Operating principle

Liquid nitrogen, whose boiling temperature is -196S - is not only the most common, but the most effective cryogen. If applied to the tissue sufficient amount of the substance, their temperature can drop to -25 - -50 degrees Celsius in just thirty seconds. Cells from benign tumors begin to collapse, on average, at a temperature of -20 to -30 degrees. For the treatment of malignant tumors requires a temperature of -40 to -50 ° C.

Under the influence of the liquid nitrogen in the intercellular space of the ice is formed, because of which the fabric is obtained irreversible damage. The extent of damage depends on the temperature to which the tissue was cooled.

Within days after the treatment by cryoablation in the tissues of the inflammatory process begins, which contributes to the further destruction of the cells that make up benign.

Freezing a tissue site to stretch more than thirty seconds, may cause damage to the collagen fibers and, in some cases, to scarring. Therefore, when necessary, liquid nitrogen is used repeatedly at certain intervals (usually it lasts a few minutes) - this prevents damage to healthy tissue. Repeated freezing is generally used in attempts to treat malignant neoplasms. In most cases, the freezing of light applied through which disintegrate more sensitive cells of the epidermis, the dermis and the cells remain essentially intact.

What is treated using cryoablation

Diseases associated with prolonged exposure to UV light very well to treatment by cryoablation. For example, for the treatment of one of the most common diseases of this type - actinic keratoses - requires exposure to liquid nitrogen just for five to seven seconds. In most cases, the patients repeated sessions are required.

Seborrheic keratosis - a very common type of benign tumors - respond well to treatment using cryoablation, or surgical excision. Cryosurgery is particularly effective in cases where the patient has multiple tumors. Thin, flat tumors are usually exposed to liquid nitrogen for 5-10 seconds; for the treatment of larger tumors may require longer freezing and sometimes liquid nitrogen during the procedure is applied several times.

Viral skin infections. Cryotherapy is often used for the treatment of warts caused by human papillomavirus. Efficacy of treatment is largely dependent on the size of the wart; in most cases, their elimination requires multiple sessions, and the success of treatment is, on average, 75%. Cryotherapy can also be used to treat warts gigatskih, the occurrence of which is also associated with human papillomavirus.

Dermatofibroma. With cryoablation dermatofibromas can be much less noticeable. Often it is the only treatment that can be used at the same violation as surgical excision may lead to a very noticeable scar.

Contraindications

Cryosurgery is absolutely contraindicated in melanoma that previously had an adverse reaction to cryotherapy, basal cell carcinoma, as well as in cases where the tumor is located on the area of ​​skin with impaired circulation. Cryosurgery may also be contraindicated in case of intolerance to cold, cold urticaria, collagen diseases and autoimmune diseases, while taking immunosuppressants, cryoglobulinemia, strong pigmentation of the skin, multiple myeloma, gangrenous pyoderma, and Raynaud's disease.

Complications

During and immediately after the procedure, the patient may experience discomfort and burning, but the intensity of these feelings are very different. As a rule, the most painful is the application of methods cryodestruction skin ears, fingertips on his temples. In addition, the freezing of tumors on the forehead and temples can cause headaches Headache . Application of liquid nitrogen on areas of skin where hair growth has, can cause hair loss Hair: structure, characteristics of growth and development ; generally, hair growth is not resumed thereafter.

Hypopigmentation - one of the most common complications of cryoablation which develops most frequently in cases where liquid nitrogen is worked on the skin for a long time. Hypopigmentation main reason is that different melanocytes increased sensitivity to low temperatures.

In rare cases, cryosurgery causes damage to the nerve endings, which is why the skin area that is exposed to liquid nitrogen, may lose sensitivity for a period of 12 to 18 months.

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