[Effect analysis of multi-electrode synchronous radiofrequency ablation and conventional single electrode overlapping...

To explore the different effects in ex vivo bovine liver between multiple cool-tip internally cooled electrodes synchronous radiofrequency ablation via switching controller and conventional single electrode overlapping radiofrequency ablation.

The above two methods were used to ablate in ex vivo bovine liver respectively. Electrode exposed end was 3 cm or 4 cm in length. The morphological characteristics of lesions created by two methods were observed, the sizes of the ablated lesions were measured and compared.

The formation of lesions ablated by both two methods was ellipsoidal. The longitudinal diameter, transverse diameter, front-end diameter and volume of the lesions ablated 16 mins by multi-electrode synchronous radiofrequency ablation via switching controller were (7.12 ± 0.52) cm, (5.71 ± 0.47) cm, (1.77 ± 0.29) cm, (102 ± 20) cm³, respectively. All of them are larger than the lesions ablated 36 mins by conventional single electrode overlapping radiofrequency ablation (P<0.01). At the same 16 mins, multi-electrode synchronous radiofrequency ablation via switching controller created longer longitudinal diameter and large volume (P<0.01) with longer exposed end electrodes (4 cm vs 3 cm). But the transverse diameter, the front-end diameter had no statistical difference (P>0.05).

Compared with the conventional single electrode overlapping radiofrequency ablation, multi-electrode synchronous radiofrequency ablation via switching controller create larger lesion in the shorter time. It may provide a new attempt for the clinical treatment of large hepatocellular carcinoma.