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Cryosurgery

»	What is cryosurgery?
»	How does cryosurgery cause injury?
»	Which agents are used for cryosurgery?
»	Do you need a lot of expensive equipment to use cryosurgery?
»	What types of skin conditions can be treated with cryosurgery?
»	How is cryosurgery performed?
»	How are benign skin lesions treated?
»	How do you treat malignant lesions?
»	Is cryosurgery a preferred method for the treatment of cutaneous malignancy?
»	What are the cure rates of cryosurgery for malignant lesions?
»	Are there contraindications to cryosurgery?
»	For which patients is cryosurgery better than other methods?
»	What are the complications of cryosurgery?

Which agents are used for cryosurgery?

Most cryosurgeons use liquid nitrogen. It is readily available, inexpensive, easy to store, easy to use, and it works quickly. Less commonly used cryogens are Freon 12, Freon 22, solid CO₂, liquid N₂O (nitrous oxide), and liquid helium (Table 52-1). Because a colder cryogen causes deeper destruction, the Freons, solid CO₂, and nitrous oxide are used only for topical anesthesia and superficial destruction. Liquid nitrogen is the only agent that is reliable for deeper destruction.

Table 52-1. Cryogens Used in Cryosurgery
	CRYOGEN	BOILING POINT (°C)
	Liquid nitrogen	-195.8
	Nitrous oxide, liquid	-89.5
	Carbon dioxide, solid	-8.5
	Chlorodifluoromethane (Freon 22)	-40.8
	Dichlorofluoromethane (Freon 12)	-27.8