Minimally Invasive Therapy Center

MIS Procedures

Laparoscopic Cryosurgery for Kidney Cancer

What is cryosurgery?

Cryosurgery, a newer minimally invasive option for kidney cancer, is a technique used to freeze and kill abnormal cells. Using a small probe, surgeons freeze the cancer cells to less than -70° Celsius, thereby killing the cancer cells.

For internal tumors, liquid nitrogen is circulated through a hollow instrument called a cryoprobe, which is placed in contact with the tumor. Using ultrasound or MRI , the doctor guides the cryoprobe and monitors the freezing of the cells, thus limiting damage to nearby healthy tissue.

The probes may be put into the tumor during surgery or through the skin (percutaneously).

In what situations can cryosurgery be used to treat kidney cancer?

Cryosurgery can be used for treatment of small renal cancers. The approach is an option for people with small tumors, or for those who would require life-long dialysis if a partial or complete kidney removal was performed.

Cryosurgery may also be an option for treating cancers that are inoperable or don’t respond to standard treatments. It can also be used for patients who are not good candidates for conventional surgery

What are the advantages of cryosurgery?

Cryosurgery is less invasive than regular surgery because it involves only a small incision of the cryoprobe through the skin. As a result, pain, bleeding and other typical complications of surgery are minimized.

With cryosurgery, patients have a shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery times. Sometimes cryosurgery can be performed with local anesthesia.

Cryosurgical treatment can focus on a limited area, so surgeons can avoid the destruction of nearby healthy tissue. The treatment can be used along with standard treatments (such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy) and can be safely repeated.

Why should patients come to the University of Maryland Medical Center?

Cryosurgery is currently performed for kidney cancer at only a few of the nation’s medical centers, including the University of Maryland Medical Center. Advances in technology have allowed us to offer less invasive alternatives such as cryosurgery.

The training and skill of a surgeon still plays a major role in a good surgical outcomes, and University of Maryland physicians are known leaders in performing minimally invasive procedures for a wide array of diseases. Patients who come to the Medical Center will benefit from the expertise and experience of our surgeons, as well as from our facilities, which include the most technologically advanced operating rooms in the country.

This page was last updated on: July 23, 2007.

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