The procedure only lasts a few hours, and most of my patients are typically treated as outpatients meaning no there is no long hospital stay. Recovery time is fast. Most patients are typically back on there feet in a few days. The treatment has a low incidence of side effects. In fact, incontinence affects have been less than 5% for my patients – far less than other procedures. And because the procedure is minimally invasive it does not have risk of side effects and complications associated with major prostate surgery. Likewise, Prostate cryotherapy does not have any of the dangers of radiation therapy or of radioactive seeds left in the body. Because we use ICE the treatment is natural.
Focal – Customized Cryotherapy
Perhaps the biggest advantage to cryotherapy is that we can I tailor the procedure for each of my patients. For many of my patients I can focus or target the treatment just in the area where the cancer is identified. This allows me to spear the reaming healthy prostate tissue and further reduce side effects, procedure time and recovery. For many patients I can spare the nerves that control sexual function. Focal Cryo is the single best procedure for preserving sexual function.
Getting Treated
I encourage you to contact me directly to learn more about Cryo and to determine if you are a candidate . I have performed hundreds of Cryo procedures including; focal, high-risk primary, and radiation failure procedures. I have developed a simple Patient Information Sheet you can use as guide. Send me your information and we can have a telephone consult. You can always just call or email me anytime.
Advantages of Cryotherapy
- Less invasive than surgery, involving only a small incision or insertion of the cryo needle through the skin
- Pain, bleeding, and other complications of surgery are minimized
- No radiation seed or radiation beams
- Natural treatment using ice
- Less expensive than other treatments
- Shorter recovery time and a shorter hospital stay, or no hospital stay at all
- The procedure can be done using only local anesthesia
- Cryotherapy can be performed focally, meaning only the cancer is killed, thus sparing the healthy prostate tissue
- Focal treatment can be used to improve the chances of maintaining good erectile function
- If needed the procedure can be repeated multiple times
Appropriate Candidates
- All men with localized prostate cancer (not spread) with any high Gleason score
- Men with primary prostate cancer (first treatment)
- Men with prostate cancer that has returned after radiation
- Focal or partial gland treatment
Side Effects
- Cryosurgery may cause incontinence (lack of control over urine flow); often, these side effects are temporary
- Many men become impotent (loss of sexual function) this is less often with focal cryo
- In some cases, the surgery has caused injury to the rectum although the reported incidence is less than 1%
