PFEFFER MEDICAL SERVICES

Cryotherapy literally means treatment with cold. Liquid nitrogen is a colourless, odourless, tasteless and non-toxic gas that makes up 80% of the atmosphere. It can be condensed into a liquid that has a boiling point of -195.79 degrees Celsius or -320.42 degrees Fahren-heit. This very cold liquid can be used to freeze skin and thereby destroy skin blemishes. Not all skin problems can or even should be treated this way. When you come to our skin clinic Dr Pfeffer will assess you and tell you whether your skin problem can be treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy. If your skin problem needs other treatment, this may be prescribed or referral may be suggested. If you normally do not attend at this surgery, we will write to your regular doctor so that this can be arranged.

 

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

To hear a bubbling, fizzy noise as the liquid nitrogen boils at room temperature in the container it is kept in, or a loud hiss as the cryo-gun is being used.

To see some vapour around the container in which the liquid nitrogen is kept. This is, in fact, water vapour condensing out of the air because of the extreme cold in the vicinity of the liquid nitrogen.

To feel a cold stinging sensation as your skin problem is being treated.

You may have mild pain following the treatment and if you feel this is severe enough to warrant it you could take a simple painkiller like paracetamol (Pamol, Panadol).

With successful treatment it will take anything from a week to three weeks for the skin problem to form a scab and drop off, revealing healthy pink skin underneath. Success rates vary, and not all skin problems that are suitable for treatment will disappear with one treatment. Because of low success rates on the thick skin of the palms of hands and feet, we generally use other forms of treatment first in these areas.

You may have some redness or even blister formation following treat-ment. Fair or red-haired people seem to be more prone. If a blister forms you should not pierce it, so that healthy skin can form at the bottom of the blister and the chance of infection is reduced. If you have a tense blister that you feel may need to be opened, or you have any problems after treatment, you are welcome to come back to the practice nurse to have this seen to.

Normally no dressing is applied after treatment. This is in fact undesirable as treated areas heal better if left open to the air. You should protect the area from injury as much as possible. You are allowed to get the area wet even immediately after treatment, but when you dry yourself, pat the area gently and do not rub.

Allow the scab to fall off by itself; do not pick at it or pull it off. When the scab comes off, the skin underneath it will be somewhat red. As time passes it will assume the colour of normal skin. Do not bandage, pick at or apply any creams or medication to the site after the scab has fallen off. The area may be sensitive to touch, temperature, and be itchy as it heals. Sometimes, and this is rare, the skin treated may show some depigmentation (loss of colour). Usually people accept this as far less disfiguring than a surgical scar.

Dr Pfeffer—Copyright reserved