The warming catheter
is used in prostate cancer cryotherapy to circulate
a warm saline solution through the bladder and the urethra.
Cryotherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer lowers
the temperature of the prostate gland to negative 40
degrees Celsius. The extremely low temperature of the
prostate gland during cryotherapy as well as the organ’s
proximity to other structures such as the urinary bladder
and the urethra leaves both vulnerable to damage from
the cold. The warming temperature keeps both the bladder
and the urethra at acceptable temperatures and decreases
the risk of complications such as urethral stricture.
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