A cryosurgical instrument for obtaining a tissue sample with a probe, including the probe including a probe head onto which the tissue sample is frozen and a probe shank for guiding the probe head to the tissue sample, a supply means for supplying a fluid into an expansion chamber configured such that supplied fluid expands therein for cooling the probe head, and a removal means connected to the expansion chamber for removing the expanded fluid therefrom via at least one opening on a distal end of the probe to remove the expanded fluid to an outer region outside the probe. A method for cooling a probe head of a cryosurgical probe including supplying a fluid to an expansion chamber near the probe head, expanding the fluid so that heat energy is withdrawn from the probe head, and removing the expanded fluid in a distal region of the probe.