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Updated: Aug 24, 2026
Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Abdominal Tumors
Published on: March 7, 2011
Safety and efficacy of argon plasma coagulator ablation therapy for flat colorectal adenomas
A García1, O Núñez, C González-Asanza
1Unit of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Department of Digestive Diseases, Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
Introduction:
argon-plasma coagulation (APC) has been used safely and efficaciously in multiple settings including colon polyp treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate APC efficacy and safety in the treatment of flat colorectal adenomas.
Materials And Methods:
APC ablation was prospectively performed and evaluated in 22 consecutive patients with colorectal adenomas, 11 of which had large sessile adenomas that were treated with piecemeal polypectomy and APC ablation of residual adenomatous tissue, whereas the remaining eleven patients with flat or carpet-like adenomas were only treated with APC. The mean initial longitudinal extension of adenomas to be treated with APC was 22 mm (range, 20 to 40 mm).
Results:
the mean age of patients was 70 years. Adenomas were found most frequently in the rectum (50%) and cecum (23%). Complete ablation was achieved in 90.9% of adenomas. Recurrence was observed in 20% of patients, all of them in the rectum, after a mean follow-up period of 16.3 months (range, 8 to 35). All recurrences were managed satisfactorily. No major complications were seen.
Conclusions:
argon plasma coagulator ablation of flat colorectal adenomas is an efficacious and safe technique, specially in the right colon, but results must be confirmed in controlled trials with a higher number of patients.
