Cryotherapy / Cryocautery (Liquid Nitrogen)

Cryotherapy, or cryodestruction, is a controlled freezing technique in which liquid nitrogen is applied to a lesion to destroy the targeted cells with extreme cold. As the tissue freezes and thaws, the abnormal cells are damaged beyond repair and the body then clears them naturally. At Derma Blansko a dermatovenerologist uses it for a range of benign and pre-malignant skin problems — common viral warts, seborrhoeic (age) warts, actinic (solar) keratoses,…

The lesion is first assessed to confirm it is suitable for freezing, then liquid nitrogen is applied for short, timed bursts; the sensation is a brief sting or burning during and just after the freeze. Over the following hours the area may redden, swell slightly or form a blister, after which a scab develops; a treated wart dies off and sheds naturally, generally within about two weeks to a month, and more than one session may be needed for thicker or…