Interventional Radiology is the medical specialty that uses radiology not only for diagnosis, but also for the treatment of various diseases through the association of clinical and surgical principles.
PERCUTANEOUS ABLATION OF TUMORS
Image-guided ablation is today one of the most current procedures for the treatment of some tumors, mainly used for the treatment of liver (primary or metastatic) and renal tumors, its indication has been widely diversified, being also recommended for the treatment of some tumors. lung and bone, allowing the patient to receive a more
conservative, which eliminates the need for conventional surgery.
This technique causes an important change in temperature inside the tumor, resulting in cell death, the procedure consists of positioning a radiofrequency or microwave needle inside the lesion, which is connected to a device which generates energy, which in turn is transmitted directly to the tumor, “burning” it. The positioning of the needle within the tumor is guided by imaging methods, both by ultrasound and by tomography, thus allowing precise localization of the needle.
As it is performed with a combination of imaging exams, it is possible to perform an immediate control of the lesion soon after the ablation is finished, thus allowing the evaluation of the initial effectiveness of the procedure and the need for complementation that is necessary at the same time.
It is a minimally invasive procedure, done with local anesthesia and sedation, where the patient stays only one night in the hospital. There are no stitches, just a small incision where the needle was inserted.
Among the potential complications of the procedure are bleeding in the path of the ablation needle, which, although very small and always detected early, should always be ruled out in the images at the end of the procedure.
After the procedure, the patient remains in the recovery room for about 12 hours, for follow-up and analgesia, being discharged with a small bandage on the puncture site, which normally heals in about 48 hours.
The patient can return to activities after 24 hours, as long as they feel well.
* Specialty available only at Blanc Hospital São Paulo.
