Spray Cryotherapy / Patient Expectations

Before The Outpatient Procedure

Your doctor will give you complete instructions about the Spray Cryotherapy procedure. Be sure to follow those directions. For instance, you'll need to stop eating the evening before the procedure and some of your regular prescription medications may need to be adjusted. Do not change any medications unless specifically instructed to do so by your doctor. You should also arrange for someone to drive you home on the day of the procedure.

The Treatment Process

Just before the procedure, you'll receive medication through an intravenous line to help you relax. Then, as you have experienced with other examinations, your doctor will insert an endoscope, followed by a special CSA catheter (a long, small tube) into the endoscope. The light and camera on the endoscope allow your doctor to see a magnified view of the treatment area on a video monitor in the procedure room. Liquid nitrogen will be sprayed through the catheter onto the targeted tissue to freeze and destroy it. You won't be able to feel the tissue being frozen.

The area being treated will be frozen and thawed for a period of time as determined by your doctor. The cycle of freezing and thawing will be repeated several times. There may be more than one area to treat, so the cycle may be repeated at different locations. The number of cycles and number of treatment sites will be determined by your doctor. The entire procedure commonly takes about 30 minutes.

After The Procedure

When finished, you'll be moved to a recovery area until you are fully awake. The clinical staff will review the discharge instructions with you, and when you're ready, someone can drive you home.

Spray Cryotherapy is usually an outpatient procedure. If so, you will return home the same day and be able to resume eating a soft diet. Most patients resume their normal routine and diet the next day.

Often times, patients don't need prescription medication but you may feel some minor discomfort about 48 hours after the procedure. Your doctor can give you a prescription for this pain, should it occur. Sometimes patients experience post-therapy side effects such as chest pain, sore throat, difficult or painful swallowing, which are relieved by taking over-the-counter medication.

The treated tissue will continue to heal and regenerate new cells as you resume your regular activities. Your doctor will ask you to come back for a follow-up examination to assess your progress. If additional treatments are required, they will be scheduled at that time.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

The CSA System is contraindicated for use during pregnancy, where significant esophageal ulceration or mucosal break is evident, where esophageal narrowing exists that precludes advancing into the stomach, where any procedure or anatomy has significantly reduced or restricted the volume of the stomach including but not limited to gastric bypass, stomach stapling, and gastrojejunostomy, where any disease state has significantly reduced the elasticity in the GI tract (e.g. Marfan's syndrome), and where food is identified in the stomach or proximal duodenum at the time of the procedure and cannot be removed. The most common side effects include chest pain, sore throat, difficult or painful swallowing. Other rare but serious side effects may occur. Always consult with a physician to determine whether this treatment may be appropriate for you.