Cryoablation Cancer Treatment In South Florida

Cryoablation is a minimally invasive procedure that uses extreme cold (cryotherapy) to kill specific tissue within the body. It may be used as a primary cancer treatment or in conjunction with other therapies. It is considered most effective when performed during the early stages of disease.

Cryoablation has been used to treat a variety of malignancies – everything from skin cancer to cancer of the breast, prostate, eye, and cervix.

At Florida Endovascular and Interventional in South Florida, we most often use cryoablation for patients with liver cancer, kidney cancer, lung cancer, and bone cancer.

How Cryoablation Inside the Body Works

During cryoablation treatment, a specially designed needle called a cryoprobe is inserted through the skin and into the target tumor, with the assistance of real-time imaging guidance. Once in position, gas is pumped into the cryoprobe, and the resulting cold temperatures at the tip of the device freeze the cancerous tissue inside your body. This procedure is repeated until the target tissue is destroyed.

Extreme cold can cause cellular death in three different ways:

Fluid inside the cancer cells freezes and expands, damaging the cell membrane and killing the cell
Fluid outside the cancer cells freeze, drawing out fluid from inside the cell and leading to cellular dehydration, shrinkage, and death
Ice forms inside tumor blood vessels, causing blood clots to form and blood supply to the cancer cells to be cut off, resulting in cell death

Dead cells are then naturally broken down and eliminated by the body.

Benefits of Cryoablation

Because cryoablation is much less invasive than traditional open surgery, this procedure is much safer and allows you to avoid many of the risks associated with surgery. Thus, cryoablation involves a faster recovery time and minimal to no post-op pain or scarring. It also targets specific tissue, allowing nearby healthy tissue to remain unharmed. Cryoablation can be safely performed multiple times and can be used with other cancer treatments and therapies.

Cryoablation is a relatively quick and painless procedure. It is performed on the Florida Endovascular and Interventional premises, in one of our fully equipped outpatient surgical suites, for your added comfort, convenience, and safety.

What to Expect During Your Cryoablation

Depending on the size and location of the tumor to be treated with cryoablation, you may be either awake and provided a local anesthetic so you feel nothing during the procedure – or you will be given IV sedation.

One of our interventional radiologists will create a small incision in your skin near the tumor. The needle-like cryoprobe will be inserted through your skin and ultrasound or other real-time imaging will help guide the probe into place in the tumor. The doctor will be able to visualize the cellular freezing taking place and will be able to monitor success of the treatment while it is ongoing.

For some tumors, multiple cryoprobes may be used simultaneously.