Pet owners may be relieved to learn about a new medical technology — powered by carbon dioxide — to remove fatty tumors, which could save them thousands of dollars in cancer surgeries for their pets.
Occasionally, dogs and cats suffer from a type of cancer that causes fatty tumors, or lumps, to appear under their skin or fur. Veterinarians generally recommend cutting off the tumors (as they sometimes restrict a pet’s ability to walk or play) during an invasive and expensive surgery that involves a long recovery time. Though this surgery is often successful, it can’t always be performed on older pets. It’s also cost prohibitive for many pet owners.
Luckily, a team of students at Johns Hopkins University has developed a new cryotherapy tool, powered by low-temperature carbon dioxide, to make this tumor removal process much easier. The process, known as cryoablation, is an alternative technique used for cancer treatment, according to the university’s website.
“Using small needles or rods placed under image guidance, extreme cold can be targeted to cancer cells to kill them by alternating periods of freezing and thawing. Cryoablation is often used to treat nasal tumors, kidney tumors, and bone tumors. Cryoablation is painless, but it is performed under general anesthesia to prevent movement in pets. For many pets, cryoablation can be performed as an outpatient procedure, and your pet can go home the same or next day. Cryoablation can be used as a palliative treatment for cancers when surgical removal is not an option.”
When the tool is placed inside the bump, the frozen cancer cells die off and are then absorbed by the pet’s body over time. With cryoablation, carbon dioxide is placed under pressure to drop the temperature to -79°C (-110.2°F). After the tool is inserted into the skin, the frozen cells die off and are absorbed by the pet’s body over time.
Are you interested in using similar cryotherapy technologies in your medical or veterinary practice? Contact CalOx, a trusted supplier of medical gases like carbon dioxide, to learn more. CalOx can supply you with a variety of medical gases, and we’ll deliver tanks to your door.