In spring 2015 I went in to see my urologist for a checkup of all the parts connected to urinating. The doctor ordered a cat scan of my abdomen and areas related to urinating. When the cat scan came back it showed a small growth in my right kidney. It was only two centimeters long. We decided to keep an eye on it to see if it grew any. Many times these growths don't need attention but you need and want to keep your eye on them.
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We checked it 6 months later in the fall of 2015 and there was no change in the size of it so we left it alone. I went back to my urologist in the spring of 2016 for catheter troubles. We decided at that time to do another cat scan on my kidneys. This time the cat scan showed minimal growth but my wife and I decided to have the growth removed anyway. I'd never had a surgery of any kind in my 58 years. I'd always been fairly healthy. So this was going to be a new experience for me. The next week my wife Doris and I met the surgeon and he went over the options that could be done to get rid of the growth. We chose a procedure called Cryotherapy.
After checking in which took an hour I went in for the surgery. I was laid on a gurney and had two nurses and an anesthetist prepping me. I'd never had a surgery before. The anesthetist put a mask on me and said take a couple of breaths which I did. That's the last thing I remember until the nurse woke me up. I'm assuming the surgeon came in next wielding his laparascope. Once inside me he froze the small growth. The actual surgery only took 45 minutes to an hour. When the surgeon finished I had 4 tiny holes by my right shoulder where the surgeon went in with his laparascope. I wish I could be more detailed but I was gassed. I stayed overnight at the hospital and was watched closely by nurses.
After one month I went in for another cat scan to check on the growth. It was smaller. Six months later I had another scan and again it was smaller. Then this past week another cat scan was done which was one year after the surgery. The growth is still shrinking. The growth is still in my liver but it's getting smaller. I was able to see the cat scans and my little growth. I'll do another cat scan in a year to make sure the growth continues to shrink or is completely gone. Anyway, that was my good news and I'm happy!!
Scooterjon - Christmas 2015
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We checked it 6 months later in the fall of 2015 and there was no change in the size of it so we left it alone. I went back to my urologist in the spring of 2016 for catheter troubles. We decided at that time to do another cat scan on my kidneys. This time the cat scan showed minimal growth but my wife and I decided to have the growth removed anyway. I'd never had a surgery of any kind in my 58 years. I'd always been fairly healthy. So this was going to be a new experience for me. The next week my wife Doris and I met the surgeon and he went over the options that could be done to get rid of the growth. We chose a procedure called Cryotherapy.
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What is Cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy kills cancer cells by freezing them. It can cure small, early stage kidney cancers. See how and when you may have it.
Cryotherapy kills cancer cells by freezing them. It can cure small, early stage kidney cancers. See how and when you may have it.
Your doctor puts small needles through your skin into the cancer area. The needles use liquid nitrogen to freeze the cancer cells. These cells fall off and normal cells can replace them.
This treatment is also called freezing therapy, cryosurgery or cryoablation. It is sometimes called percutaneous cryotherapy. Precutaneous means that the freezing probe is put through the skin.
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Who has Cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy is used to treat small, early stage kidney cancers less than 4cm across. For some people, it can cure the cancer without a kidney being removed. So it's used for people who are not fit enough for surgery.
You may need to have the treatment again if the cancer comes back, or if cancer cells are left behind.
The specialist urological cancer multidisciplinary team assess you for this treatment. It's mainly available in specialist hospitals. Your doctor will explain the possible risks and benefits to you
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What happens during Cryotherapy?
You can have cyrotherapy treatment under local or general anesthetic.
The surgeon finds the cancer using an x-ray or ultrasound scan. They make a cut in the skin over the kidney or use keyhole surgery. Keyhole surgery uses smaller cuts and the doctor uses a camera (laparoscope) to see inside the body.
The surgeon may take a small sample of tissue from the cancer. Then they put one or more Cryotherapy needles through the skin. These go into the kidney close to the cancer.
Once in position, the needles use liquid nitrogen to freeze and destroy the cancer cells.
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Side effects of Crotherapy
The treatment area can be painful after the anaesthetic wears off. You will probably need to take painkillers for a few days.
Other problems after surgery can include:
- bleeding around the kidney, requiring a blood transfusion
- urine leakage
- temporary weakness caused by a nerve being damaged
- injury to the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder (the ureter)
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Complications
In research studies there have been no major complications in patients treated with cryotherapy through a cut in the skin (incision).
Complications in people who had cryotherapy through keyhole surgery are very rare, but have included bowel injury, breathing difficulties and an abnormal heart rate.
** Information from Cancer Research UK - kidney cancer
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This is my definition of Cryotherapy and I'm no doctor. It is a procedure where growths are frozen. Then the growths shrink and eventually the growth goes away! During the surgery my surgeon took a small sample of tissue from the growth to check for cancer. My growth came out pre-cancerous so it could have grown into something more major. ================================
After checking in which took an hour I went in for the surgery. I was laid on a gurney and had two nurses and an anesthetist prepping me. I'd never had a surgery before. The anesthetist put a mask on me and said take a couple of breaths which I did. That's the last thing I remember until the nurse woke me up. I'm assuming the surgeon came in next wielding his laparascope. Once inside me he froze the small growth. The actual surgery only took 45 minutes to an hour. When the surgeon finished I had 4 tiny holes by my right shoulder where the surgeon went in with his laparascope. I wish I could be more detailed but I was gassed. I stayed overnight at the hospital and was watched closely by nurses.
After one month I went in for another cat scan to check on the growth. It was smaller. Six months later I had another scan and again it was smaller. Then this past week another cat scan was done which was one year after the surgery. The growth is still shrinking. The growth is still in my liver but it's getting smaller. I was able to see the cat scans and my little growth. I'll do another cat scan in a year to make sure the growth continues to shrink or is completely gone. Anyway, that was my good news and I'm happy!!
PS - Want to create the ultimate digital lifestyle?
Copy and paste my link for more info... https://bit.ly/2Hv6S2Y
