Nitrogen is a liquid at -200 degrees celsius. Anything that comes in contact with liquid nitrogen instantly freezes and solidifies. This supercool liquid finds many applications in medicine and surgery.
●It is used to treat abnormal skin growths like warts, skin tags, and other skin lumps and bumps.
● It is also used in the preservation of bone, marrow, ova, and early embryos.
● It is used in the treatment of skin cancer to remove precancerous growths.
● It is used in cryosurgery, cryopreservation, and cryomedicine.
Though liquid nitrogen is extremely cool, the treatment involving it is not very painful.
It is applied on the bump or wart for about 10 to 30 seconds. It feels like holding an ice cube against your skin, but only colder.
After application, the wart or lump will discolor as it freezes. Gradually, it will fall off. Though there are not many side effects to liquid nitrogen treatment, the skin around the area of application can become red or swollen, which should disappear in a day. If any blister forms at the place, the doctor will pierce it with a needle and plaster it.
Any scab formed will usually heal and will leave minimal scarring. Sometimes, patients are recommended for follow-up treatment if the wart or bump is too thick.
Since medicine is a delicate industry with little room for mistakes, only quality medical liquid nitrogen is used. Suppliers like MAC gases can ensure the delivery of quality liquid nitrogen for cryogenic treatments and surgeries.
