cryosurgery

American  

[krahy-oh-sur-juh-ree] / ˌkraɪ oʊˈsɜr dʒə ri /

noun

1. the use of extreme cold to destroy tissue for therapeutic purposes.

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cryosurgery British  

/ ˌkraɪəʊˈsɜːdʒərɪ /

noun

1. surgery involving the local destruction of tissues by quick freezing for therapeutic benefit

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Other Word Forms

• cryosurgical
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cryosurgery

First recorded in 1960–65; cryo- + surgery

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cryosurgery

On the day a reporter observed him, Mr. Fitzmaurice moved quickly through the visits, many of which entailed procedures like biopsies and cryosurgery.

From New York Times ● Nov. 20, 2017

Among the techniques: cryosurgery to freeze tissue to be removed, or use of a harmonic scalpel, a vibrating laser that simultaneously cuts tissue and clots blood.

From Time Magazine Archive

Virtually bloodless and almost painless, cryosurgery can be done on patients who remain fully conscious or only lightly anesthetized.

From Time Magazine Archive

In some cases cryosurgery is used only to relieve symptoms, but in others it achieves actual cures.

From Time Magazine Archive

He bounced back and forth between clinics and Aetna bureaucrats who challenged his use of out-of-plan doctors and "experimental" treatments such as the high-dose chemotherapy and cryosurgery that specialists urged.

From Time Magazine Archive