One hundred hospitals in the United States currently offer the procedure for some cancers, and Medicare even covers cryosurgery treatment for prostate cancer, says this article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . To perform the surgery, surgeons insert up to eight probes through the skin to limit the area of the tumor to be frozen. In prostate surgery, a warming tube is also used to keep the urethra from freezing. Patients have to spend a day or two in the hospital following the surgery, but according to the article, it should be an outpatient procedure in the near future.
Recovery time is about one week.
Side effects have been reduced in recent years, although impotence still affects almost all who have had cryosurgery for prostate cancer. But cryosurgery is a good alternative for those too old or sick to have traditional surgery or radiation treatments, says the article. Doctors are now trying out the surgery on other cancers, such as those in the breast, kidney or liver. Get Your Medifocus Medguide Research Your Illness Visit our Medcenter and get your Medifocus Guide , trustworthy medical information specifically about your health condition. Bookstore Visit our Prostate Cancer Bookstore and find books on the latest treatments and remedies for your illness.