Which term describes destroying tissue by freezing at very low temperatures?

• A. Cryoablation
• B. Cryotherapy
• C. Thermal ablation
• D. Laser therapy

Answer: (A)

Freezing tissue to destroy it is described by cryoablation. The word parts connect cold to destruction of tissue, so the procedure is specifically about killing cells by very low temperatures, usually with targeted probes to necrose a defined area while trying to spare surrounding tissue. This is distinct from cryotherapy, which uses cold for general therapeutic effects and symptom relief rather than deliberate tissue destruction. Thermal ablation relies on heat to destroy tissue, not cold, and laser therapy uses focused light energy to ablate tissue, also not by freezing.