The reason that the probe is so thin is that it causes minimal damage to any skin or muscle that it passes through, so much so that within hours of treatment, you may not even be able to tell a needle was ever inserted.
The major benefit of cryoablation is that compared to many cancer treatments, including removing tumors by surgery, it is minimally invasive.As well, the patient often only needs a mild sedation, or no sedation of all, as the process works on such a miniscule scale that it is highly unlikely any nerves will register any pain.
Other benefits include that it is often a day-surgery level procedure. Arrive in the morning, have your cryoablation treatment, and you’ll often be good to go in the early afternoon.
As with all medical treatments and procedures, however, there are risks. Cryoablation does involve the use of extremely cold temperatures, and some healthy cells in and around the cancerous tumor may be destroyed as part of the therapy.