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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Abdominal Tumors
Published on: March 7, 2011
Double radiofrequency ablation is more extensive with a spherical zone shape compared to single ablation in a pig
Atsuo Oshio1, Katsuyoshi Tamaki, Ichiro Shimizu
1Departments of Digestive and Cardiovascular Medicine, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
Objective:
We compared the duration of ablation and the area of coagulation necrosis between a single ablation method (SAM) and a double ablation method (DAM) with a 'multitined expandable' electrode (LeVeen 2 cm) for radiofrequency ablation (RFA) using pig liver.
Method:
In the SAM group, ablation was completed after the first roll-off. In the DAM group, an additional ablation was performed to achieve a second roll-off. The comparison was made of the time required for roll-off and the extent of coagulation necrosis between the both groups. The Ellipticity index (EI) quantitatively describes the shape of the general RF ablation zone in the axial plane.
Results:
There was no statistically significant difference in the interval until the first roll-off between both groups (SAM group: 100.7+/-24.7 seconds vs DAM group: 103.2+/-37.7 seconds, P=0.43). In the DAM group, the interval from the start of the additional ablation until the second roll-off was 154.0+/-86.9 seconds, longer than the interval for the first roll-off (P=0.023). The extent of coagulation necrosis was significantly more extensive in the DAM group (axial diameter, mean+/-SD, 26.2+/-2.8mm) x (maximal diameter: 29.3+/-1.6mm) x (minimal diameter: 26.5+/-3.6mm) compared to the SAM group with (23.0+/-3.3mm) x (23.7+/-3.1mm) x (20.0+/-2.5mm), respectively. Although there was no statistically significant difference in the EI between both groups, macroscopically, the shape of coagulation necrosis tended to be non-spherical in the SAM group and spherical in the DAM group.
Conclusions:
The DAM with a 'multitined expandable' electrode was more extensive with a spherical zone shape compared to the SAM.
