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Cryosurgical Ablation of the Prostate
Author(s) -
Keetch David W.,
Moore Shirley,
Shea Linda
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
aorn journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1878-0369
pISSN - 0001-2092
DOI - 10.1016/s0001-2092(06)63712-5
Subject(s) - medicine , prostate , prostatectomy , ablation , cryosurgery , prostate cancer , surgery , urology , cancer
A new surgical procedure, cryosurgical ablation of the prostate, offers patients with organ‐confined prostate cancer another treatment option. The advantages of this cryosurgical technique are complete ablation of prostatic cancers without radical prostatectomy procedures, less blood loss, decreased hospital stays, reduced health care costs, and minimal associated morbidity. Some possible complications of cryosurgical ablation of the prostate procedures include incontinence, impotence, rectal freezing from inadequate monitoring of the freezing process, urethrocutaneous and urethrorectal fistula formations, and urethral tissue sloughing. The intraoperative nurse's prime responsibility is to monitor the subfreezing temperatures of the cryoprobes. Postoperatively, patients have only a few perineal incisions covered with sterile dressings and a suprapubic catheter. Most patients have minimal discomfort that is managed easily with opiate analgesics. AORN Journal 61 (May 1995) 807–813.