Cryosurgery

By Dr. Brian Richman D.P.M.

Cryosurgery is a treatment modality that uses very cold temperatures to destroy pathological tissue. This technology has been widely accepted and used in many branches of medicine and surgery. Cryosurgery is commonly used to treat conditions such as prostate cancer, cervical cancer, liver and kidney cancer, metastatic tumors, dermatological skin lesions, and chronic painful conditions. Recently the FDA approved cryosurgery for foot and ankle surgery including painful Morton's interspace neuromas, plantar fasciitis (chronic heel spur syndrome).

After local anesthesia, Cryosurgery is performed by using a probe that is inserted into the painful neuroma, recurrent neuroma, area of scar tissue, bursitis, and/or plantar fascia area of the foot. The machine causes a freeze ice ball about .8 cm in diameter, the probe freezes to minus 70 degrees Celsius. The freezing, thawing, freezing, technique destroys the sensory nerves in the area which destroys the inflammatory tissue which decreases the patient's pain. the sensory nerves regenerate normally without the previous pain.

The advantages of cryosurgery is that it is an office based procedure with no sutures, local anesthesia, and very little recovery time. Early studies show benefits from cryosurgery for neuromas and plantar fasciitis is about 70-95% effective on eliminating the patient's pain.

 

Cyrosurgery

By Dr. Lawrence M. Fallat D.P.M.

Cryosurgery is a treatment modality that uses very cold temperatures to destroy pathological tissue, such as sensory nerves, that cause pain.

This technology has been well accepted and used in amy branches of medicine and surgery. Cryosurgery is commonly used to treat painful Neuromas, skin lesions, tumors, and chronic pain conditions.

In the foot and ankle, cryosurgery is a minimally invasive procedure used to manage painful conditions such as Neuromas, Neuritis, Plantar Fasciitis and Bursitis. this safe procedure provides pain relief by destroying small branches of the nerves that register pain and reducing areas of chronic inflammation. Although the small nerves are destroyed this effect is not permanent. The nerves will grow back although the pain usually does not return.