In Situ Thermal Ablation of Focal Liver Neoplasms, with a Special Emphasis on the Intraoperative Ultrasound-guided Radio Frequency Ablation Method

Horatiu Branda1, Liviu Vlad2, Zeno Spârchez1, Radu Badea1, Luminita Furcea2, Florin Graur2, Dan Miclaus2,
Gelu Osian2

1) 3rd Medical Clinic, Ultrasound Department. 2) 3 rd Surgical Clinic, UMF „Iuliu Hatieganu” Cluj-Napoca

Abstract

In the last two decades an important number of image-guided procedures have been developed in order to treat focal liver tumors through ablation in a similar way with the surgical procedure, which is still considered as the curative method for patients with resectable hepatic tumours. Unfortunately this criteria does not apply to all patients and in those cases (nonsurgical patients), the techniques are becoming frequently used as standard independent or adjuvant therapies. Tumour ablation using thermal procedures is now considered as one of the most promising among these alternative ablation therapies. It is the goal of these techniques together with the continuous improvement in technology and increasing clinical experience, to become the treatment of choice for limited liver tumours, challenging surgical resection.

Keywords

Focal liver tumours – thermal ablation – intraoperative radio frequency ablation