Ablation involves removing or destroying with heat, evaporation or erosion. Medical ablation refers to eliminating diseased or unwanted tissue or destroying function. According to a review in the American Journal of Roentgenology current heat-based ablation therapies include radiofrequency, microwaves, high-intensity ultrasound and laser technologies. Cryoablation freezes diseased cells, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The benefits of ablation therapies depend on the disease treated and the ablation procedure used.
Less Invasive Than Surgery
According to the Mayo Clinic, ablation therapies offer a less invasive alternative to surgery for localized disease, including isolated tumors. Thermal procedures use image guidance to thread an electrode directly to a tumor where high-energy radiofrequency waves are used to kill the tumor.
Short, Repeatable Treatment
The Mayo Clinic says radiofrequency ablation can help liver, kidney, lung and bone cancer patients who are not good candidates for surgery. The advantages include a short treatment of about an hour or less followed by an overnight stay in the hospital. It also can be repeated if new tumors appear.
Small Incision
The Cleveland Clinic says cryoablation for kidney cancer involves three or four button-hole-sized incisions compared to a 10- to 12-inch incision for conventional kidney cancer surgery. The benefits of cyroablation include shorter hospital stays, less pain and need for medication, shorter recovery, less scarring and fewer complications.
High Success, Lower Cost
The American Urological Association Foundation says that cryoablation therapy for early stage prostate cancer offers excellent success with high cure rates. The benefits of cryoablation for prostate cancer include high quality of life after the procedure, minimal anesthesia, it may be repeated if needed, and it is less than half the cost of traditional treatments.
Preferred Heart Treatment
Radiofrequency ablation is a nonsurgical preferred method of treating many types of heart rhythm disorders, according the American Heart Association. Also called catheter ablation, the procedure involves threading a catheter with an electrode through an artery to the heart. The doctor then sends high-energy pulses through the electrode to kill malfunctioning heart muscle cells that cause irregular heart beats. The benefits of radiofrequency ablation for heart rhythm disorders include a 90-percent success rate, it may be done without a hospital stay, requires minimal sedation and carries a low risk of complications.
References
- Journal of Reotgenology: Thermal Ablation Therapy for Focal Malignancy A Unified Approach to Underlying Principles, Techniques, and Diagnostic Imaging Guidance
- Cleveland Clinic: Cryoablation
- Mayo Clinic: Radiofrequency Ablation for Cancer
- American Urologic Association Foundation: Cryoablation for Prostate Cancer
- American Heart Assocation: Radiofrequency Ablation
