Cryosurgery

Abstract

Cryosurgery is a method of therapy that uses freezing temperatures to achieve curative effects on diseased or abnormal tissues. This article reviews the historical background of cryosurgery, the mechanisms of tissue injury due to freezing, and the techniques of application of freezing temperatures to the tissue. The technical description reviews the types of cryogens and cryosurgical apparatus and the methods of monitoring the freezing process. Clinical uses of cryosurgical techniques for diverse organs and tissues, both neoplastic and non‐neoplastic diseases, are described.