A warming catheter filled with a saltwater solution is placed in urethra to keep it warm during procedure. Typical hospital stays are one to two days. Appropriate Candidates for Cryosurgery Men whose cancer is localized to the prostate gland. Men whose prostates are 40 grams or less in size as measured by ultrasound. Men with high Gleason scores .
Cryosurgery is used for local control of the tumor and as an adjunct to hormone therapy.
Those Who Should Consider Other Treatments Men whose cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body. The most common side effects are bladder or urethral irritation, causing such symptoms as frequent urination with little warning, and burning, blood, or pain with urination. Irritation to the rectal wall may also occur. Up to 80 percent of men have some level of erectile dysfunction after cryosurgery. The level depends on how aggressively the prostate tissues have been frozen.