For many of the cancer types that Dr. Pedram Ilbeigi treats, cryosurgery is a viable treatment option. As a urology expert, Dr. Pedram Ilbeigi often recommends cryosurgery to his Inland Empire patients who are suffering from prostate cancer or liver cancer.
If you are a Rancho Mirage patient that has recently been diagnosed with cancer and you want to discuss your alternative treatment options, set up a consultation appointment with Dr. Pedram Ilbeigi in order to see if cryosurgery is the right choice for you.
What is Cryosurgery?
Cryosurgery is often referred to as cryotherapy. During this procedure, liquid nitrogen is used in order to freeze abnormal cells. Cryosurgery is often used to treat external tumors, and the liquid nitrogen is applied directly to the tumor itself. For internal tumors, the liquid nitrogen is placed in a cryoprobe which is inserted into the body in order to make contact with the tumor. Once the abnormal tissue is frozen, it dies and begins to thaw in order to be reabsorbed by the body.
What Types of Cancer can be Treated with Cryosurgery?
Dr. Pedram Ilbeigi typically uses cryotherapy as an alternative treatment option for prostate cancer. It is most effective when the cancer cells are only located in the prostate gland and have not spread to other portions of the body. Cryosurgery may be used to treat noncancerous cells and precancerous cells as well, depending on the particular patient.
What are the Benefits of Cryosurgery?
Cryosurgery is a minimally-invasive procedure with less side effects than normal surgery. Patients will find that they do not have as much pain or bleeding after the procedure, and there is less risk of complication after the surgery is complete. The cryosurgery procedure can be repeated as necessary, as it does not impact the healthy tissue in the patient’s body.
What are the Negative Aspects of Cryosurgery?
Cryosurgery is a relatively new alternative treatment option, and many medical researchers are not sure of its long-term effectiveness. For men who have prostate cancer, there are significant side effects associated with this surgery. Many men become impotent after it is complete. Some men have formed incontinence after the surgery, but this is typically a temporary side effect of the treatment.
In rare cases, the cryosurgery procedure has caused injury to the patient’s rectum. Another disadvantage of cryosurgery is the fact that this procedure might miss the microscopic spread of cancer cells. Detecting this tiny spread of cells can be essential to early treatment and prevention of further spread in the body.
Dr. Pedram Ilbeigi believes that many cancer patients are qualified to try cryosurgery as an alternative treatment option for cancer. He understands that many patients are looking for the least invasive yet most effective option for treating the disease and wants to provide patients with the most viable alternatives. To find out more information about cryosurgery and to see if you are a good candidate for this procedure, set up a consultation appointment with Dr. Pedram Ilbeigi today.
