Dr. Ivor B. Asztalos, MD

Cryotherapy is the targeted use of extreme cold to destroy unhealthy or unwanted tissue. The doctor applies the cold on the skin or injects it through a needle to reach the inside of the body, where it freezes away the problem tissue. Cryotherapy is often used to remove minor skin problems such as warts or skin tags, and it is also used to treat some small tumors.

To achieve the cold temperatures needed for cryotherapy, liquid nitrogen or argon gas is passed through a tube, which becomes cold enough to freeze cells on contact. Alternatively, liquid nitrogen can be swabbed directly onto the skin or via a spray, which applies only a specific, small amount to the skin at a time.

Because the area treated is typically very small, cryotherapy is not usually painful. There may be a sensation of cold and possibly some slight discomfort. Cryotherapy is very fast and can easily be performed in a doctor's office. It also doesn't require stitches, because there is no cutting involved. These benefits make cryotherapy a good choice for many issues, including:

• Common warts
• Genital warts
• Skin tags
• Age spots
• Some skin cancers
• Cervical cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Retinoblastoma, cancer that occurs in the eye

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a cardiac device that can not only treat irregular heartbeats but also restart the heart if needed. A standard pacemaker monitors the beating of the heart, and can treat an irregular rhythm with regular, low-energy electrical impulses that cause the heart to contract on time. An ICD performs this function, but also monitors for cardiac arrest, when the heart suddenly stops beating. If this happens, the ICD can deliver a single, high-energy dose of electricity to shock the heart and get it beating again. After delivering a defibrillating shock, the ICD makes sure the heart continues to work correctly.