ABSTRACT
Cryosurgery may be performed as an open surgical technique or as a closed procedure under laparoscopic or ultrasound guidance. The hypothesized advantages of cryosurgery include improved local control and benefits common to any minimally invasive procedure (e.g. preserving normal organ tissue, decreasing morbidity, decreasing length of hospitalization). Potential complications of cryosurgery include those caused by hypothermic damage to normal tissue adjacent to the tumor, structural damage along the probe track, and secondary tumors, if cancerous cells are seeded during probe removal.
