Cryosurgery in Houston, TX

Cryosurgery, also known as cryotherapy, is a nonsurgical treatment to remove abnormal skin growths available at Advanced Dermatology. Historically, the most direct way to treat skin growths is to “freeze” them with liquid nitrogen, a process called cryotherapy. Liquid nitrogen is greater than -300ºC. It is very cold, so cold that it can feel hot. This option can be a little uncomfortable and sometimes has to be repeated to achieve removal when lesions are stubborn!

At Advanced Dermatology, we offer cryosurgery to remove unwanted skin growths, such as lesions, warts, and moles. Cryosurgery can also be used as a skin cancer treatment if your skin has precancerous cells (actinic keratosis) or early-stage skin cancer. A quick, efficient treatment for many skin growths, cryosurgery can ordinarily be performed in our Katy, League City, Pearland, or Sugar Land, TX offices with little downtime after the procedure. To learn more about cryosurgery or to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced practitioners, contact Advanced Dermatology at any of our locations in the Greater Houston, TX area.

Cryosurgery at Advanced Dermatology offers several great benefits to treat your skin concern and help you achieve smoother, healthier skin, including:

• It treats a variety of skin issues
• It’s less invasive than other treatments
• It minimizes pain, discomfort, and bleeding
• It’s quick, safe, and effective
• It’s an outpatient procedure
• It can be repeated to ensure effectiveness
• It’s less expensive than other treatments
• It minimizes damage to healthy tissue
• Recovery time is short

Cryosurgery may be used if you have an unwanted skin growth, such as a mole or skin tag, which you want to have removed for cosmetic reasons. The growth may be on a visible area of your body (such as your face) or it may be in an area where it is constantly irritated by clothing or jewelry (such as your chest). Cryosurgery may be combined with another skin cancer treatment or performed multiple times for more effective results.

Cryosurgery is a simple procedure that usually takes a short amount of time. At the start of the procedure, we will sterilize the area. A numbing agent may be applied to the treatment area to help minimize any discomfort. Using a cotton swab or spray, the liquid nitrogen is administered directly and immediately kills all cells that it is in contact with, including the growth. Your practitioner will carefully perform the treatment so only the targeted areas are impacted. Following your cryosurgery, the treated skin will be cleaned and bandaged.

After your cryosurgery, you should be free to leave our office and return to sedentary (non-active) work. The treated area may be red or swollen and a blister may form. Our team will go over how to clean and care for your treated skin to avoid an infection. You will most likely have a follow-up appointment at Advanced Dermatology so your healing can be assessed and to determine if another treatment is needed.

What are the most common skin growths that you remove with cryosurgery?
Lesions, warts, and moles that have a danger of becoming melanoma or are pre-cancerous in some way are almost always removed for medical reasons. These include growths that are irregular in shape, crusty, bleeding, or discolored. Many other growths are usually benign and pose only a cosmetic issue. If a lesion is truly bothersome and upsetting due to its aesthetic appearance, it may be considered for cryosurgery removal.

Is scarring a concern?
Scarring may be an unavoidable part of most lesion removal surgeries but cryosurgery involves much less scarring than other methods of lesion removal with minimal post-op care. Our team at Advanced Dermatology understands not only how to safely remove the lesion, but how to incorporate techniques to minimize scarring for the best results possible.

What are the potential risks and side effects of cryosurgery?
While cryosurgery performed at our Houston, TX office is a safe and effective procedure, there may be some side effects that appear for patients. They include:

• Swelling
• Lack of feeling at the treatment site for up to 18 months
• Loss of pigmentation
• Loss of hair at the treatment site
• Bleeding
• Blisters

If you have an abnormal skin lesion or growth, schedule a consultation for a treatment removal method that is appropriate for you, which could be cryosurgery. As a quick and easy procedure, cryosurgery effectively treats skin growths with liquid nitrogen to kill precancerous and cancerous cells. Contact Advanced Dermatology in Katy, League City, Pearland, or Sugar Land, TX to schedule a skin exam and then learn about treatment options, like cryosurgery, to remove skin growths.