Szemészet, 1975 (112. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)
1975 / 3. szám
Szemészet 112. 178—181. 1975. Eye Clinic of the Academy of Medicine, Lublin Cryogenics and Contemporary Surgery* T. ТС К W AffICZ and L. KRWAWICZ It was in 1960 that attention was drawn to and first use made of low temperature in cataract surgery [16, 17]. Soon it embraced neurosurgery and surgery [7, 8, 29, 32], and thus began the era of rapid and, as it was later termed, avalanche-like development of modern cryo-ophthalmology and cryosurgery with their stunning multitude of instruments, apparatus, methods and techniques. As it is known, earlier investigations on the application of cold, which in their time had found no understanding or practical application, were called back to memory. This long period of stagnation and underestimation, especially in the field of theoretical investigations, ended with the advent of the great revival. This second, modern period of the utilization of low temperature witnesses not only a progress in the surgical treatment of cataract, but also the birth of modern cryo-opthalmology and of cryosurgery in almost all fields of the surgical discipline. The construction of a complete cryosurgical apparatus by Cooper [7] in 1962 had a great influence on the extension of the cryogenic technique over numerous fields of surgery. Since that time, a certain excitement has been observed among cryosurgeons: as soon as a procedure has been developed, another, even more promising idea presents itself, and good results obtained in one field encourage to repeat them in another. Thanks to the activity of J. G. Bellows, the Society for Cryo-Ophthalmology, with the Journal of Cyro-Ophthalmology as its organ, is formed as the first body in this specialty. Soon, however, Cryo-Ophthalmology becomes one of the sections of the Society of Cryosurgery, which organizes its congresses in Miami Beach, Vienna, and lately in Turin. Neurosurgery is the field in which cryogenics has gained a firm foothold [9,11]. In the first line, there can be quoted cryothalamectomy in Parkinson’s disease, cryosurgery of tumours which are located deep in the brain stem, cryosurgery of strongly vascularized neoplasms and of inoperable neoplasms, cryohvpophysectomy in mammary cancer, in progressing diabetic retinopathy and tumours of the hypophysis, as well as the treatment of epilepsy by cryodestruction of the foci. There are also reports on alleviating hemicranial headaches by partial refrigeration of the neck and head arteries [9]. In surgery, new possibilities are being opened of palliative treatment of constricting neoplasms of the oesophagus [11]. Low temperature has been used in cases of recurrent massive neoplasms, in which cryosurgery performs a palliative function [5]. The use of cryosurgical knives for operations on the liver and spleen has outgrown the experimental stage; its chief merits are haemostasis and minimum of necrosis [32]. In urology, good results have been obtained in the treatment of bleeding from the urinary bladder. Cryoprostatectomy was started in 1964 [9]. Especially good results have been reported in the operative cryogenic treatment of tumours of the urinary bladder [11]. * Dedicated to Professor M. Radnót on the 25th anniversary of her Professorship. 178
