Recent Developments In Surgery:Cryosurgery

Abstract

Cryosurgery means freezing of living tissues for sufficient time to cause necrosis as a treatment of surgical diseases. Improvement in cryogenics have made it possible to obtain tissue temperatures as low as - 190°C. The mechanism of cellular death involves intracellular crystallization with uniform death of all cells within the frozen solid area - a sort of 'thermal shock’ due to physical changes in cell wall and intracellular biochemical changes. It is associated with thrombosis of microcirculation and hence the term ’bloodless knife’. Since intense cooling numbs the sensations, it obviates the need of anaesthesia totally.