Cryobiopsy

If you have a pulmonary condition, your doctors may want to evaluate your lung tissue for potential lung disease. To do this, they'll need to sample a piece of tissue and have it tested in a laboratory.

Your doctor may suggest cryobiopsy, which is a novel way to remove lung tissue without performing open surgery. During cryobiopsy, the doctor inserts a flexible tube, called a cryoprobe, into your airway to reach your lungs.

The cryoprobe uses a freezing process to extract a piece of tissue that remains on the probe as the tube is removed from your airway. After removal the tissue sample thaws, and the doctor submits it for evaluation.                                 

One benefit of cryobiopsy over traditional endoscopic biopsy techniques is that your doctor can extract a larger tissue sample which remains intact and is not “crushed” when it is removed. There are also benefits compared to surgical lung biopsy, including lower surgical risk and a shorter recovery time. Most patients can go home the same day.