Advantages and Disadvantages of Cryotherapy for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia
- Advantages
- Easily performed in the outpatient setting with relatively simple and inexpensive equipment
- Quick and easy to learn and to perform
- Serious injuries and complications are rare
- Minimal chance of heavy bleeding during or after the procedure
- Can be performed in a short time and does not interfere with other activities—e.g., work or school later in the day
- No anesthetic is required. Procedure is relatively painless, although cramping may occur
- Least expensive and most widely available form of treatment for CIN
- Disadvantages
- Women experience a heavy discharge for several weeks after cryotherapy.
- Uterine cramping often occurs during therapy but rapidly subsides.
- Bleeding and infection are rare problems during reparative period.
- Cervical stenosis may occur.
- Unlike excisional therapies, there can be no histologic exam of entire lesion. However, cost of histologic exam is avoided.
- Future Pap smears and colposcopy may be more difficult. Squamocolumnar junction has a tendency to migrate deeper into cervical os, making it difficult to sample endocervix.
- Possible higher failure rates than other cervical procedures for high-grade disease.
