Radio Frequency Ablation,RF Ablation Surgery, RFA Osteoid Osteoma Treatment Gujarat, India

Radiofrequency ablation, sometimes referred to as RFA, is a minimally invasive treatment for cancer. It is an image-guided technique that heats and destroys cancer cells.

In radiofrequency ablation, imaging techniques such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used to help guide a needle electrode into a cancerous tumor. High-frequency electrical currents are then passed through the electrode, creating heat that destroys the abnormal cells.

Pictures of Treat liver tumor by Radiofrequency ablation surgery in India.

We first assess the tumor in detail, using CT scans and MRI, which are performed at our centre. However, if these investigations have already been done, we go through them carefully.

If the lesion is suitable for an RFA procedure from the treatment perspective, we assess the technical feasibility.

If the lesion is technically accessible, then a pre-procedure work-up is performed, which consists of a basic health assessment, and the coagulation profile.

If there is no contraindication, the procedure is then performed under deep sedation, with an anesthetist in attendance.

The procedure for an osteoid osteoma takes upto 30-45 minutes. For all other tumors, it may take from 30mins to 2 hours depending on the size of the tumor.

After the procedure, the patient is observed in the post-procedure room, until he/she is fully conscious. Usually within three hours, the patient leaves our centre. The patient is allowed light food four hours after the procedure. The patient will be on oral antibiotic coverage for another 3 days.

With most tumors including osteoid osteomas, the patient can go back to sedentary, non-strenuous work within 24-48 hours.

Follow-up CT scans or MRIs are performed at 48 hours, 30 days and 1 year and are part of the paid-up package.

Patients with tumors that are 3 cm or smaller are best suited for RFA treatment. A typical patient undergoing RFA is an adult who cannot undergo lung cancer surgery despite having a tumor that is at an early stage.

Examples of patients who may not be able to undergo surgery include those with poor lung function, other coexisting other diseases, poor general performance status which might deteriorate further following lung surgery, and patients with lung tumors that either do not respond to maximum conventional therapy, including radiation therapy, or recur after treatment. In other words, these patients have tumors that can be potentially removed by surgery, but the presence of other additional diseases in these patients prevent them from undergoing surgery.

Also in this group are patients who cannot afford to lose any more lung tissue. Although few studies report that RFA can be safely performed in tumors close to vital organs such as the heart, generally tumors that are close to the lung hilum (where the airtubes and blood vessels enter the lung) are not amenable to RFA (17, 18).