Definition

A medical procedure that uses extreme cold to destroy or remove abnormal tissues, such as tumors or warts, often by applying liquid nitrogen.

Example

The doctor recommended cryosurgery to treat the skin lesion effectively.

Conversation

Have you heard about cryosurgery?

Yeah, I read that it freezes abnormal tissues to treat them.

It sounds pretty interesting; I wonder how effective cryosurgery really is.

I think it's quite effective for certain conditions, especially skin lesions.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Cryosurgery → It is formed from "cryo-" (from Greek "kryos", meaning cold) and "surgery" (from Greek "cheirourgia", meaning hand work or manual operation). The term describes a surgical technique that uses extreme cold to destroy abnormal tissues.

Memory Tip

Think of 'cold' ('cryo-') being used in a 'manual operation' ('surgery') to treat or remove tissue.

Visually Confused Words