Tissue ablation by cryogenic destruction

Tissue ablation by cryogenic destruction is a procedural technique in which localized tissue is deliberately destroyed using very low temperatures. Typically achieved via cryoprobes cooled with gases such as argon or nitrogen, this process results in cellular death through mechanisms that include formation of intracellular and extracellular ice crystals, cellular dehydration, membrane rupture, protein denaturation, ischemia secondary to vascular coagulation, and apoptosis. The method is most commonly used for tumor ablation (including prostate and renal cancers) and for cardiac arrhythmia procedures such as ablation of arrhythmogenic foci in the heart. It is not a molecule, receptor, enzyme, or canonical therapeutic target, but an interventional procedure used across multiple medical specialties[2][5][6].

Other names

CryoablationCryosurgeryCryogenic ablationTissue cryodestructionCryotherapy