This outpatient procedure uses liquid nitrogen, a freezing agent, to remove small lesions or growths on the skin. It is commonly used to treat benign growths, precancerous tissues, and less-severe cancers.
After the skin is cleansed and sterilized, the physician treats the growth with liquid nitrogen, which can be sprayed or swabbed onto the skin. The liquid nitrogen freezes the growth within seconds, while leaving the surrounding tissue unharmed.
The wound is bandaged, and over the next few days it will become red and swollen and a blister may form. As the skin heals, the treated tissue will dry up and fall off. Typically the skin is fully healed with four to six weeks, but some lesions can take longer.