Long-term outcomes after percutaneous renal cryoablation performed with adjunctive techniques

Area of Science:

• Interventional Radiology
• Oncology
• Nephrology

Background:

• Percutaneous cryoablation is a minimally invasive treatment for renal masses.
• Treating tumors in difficult locations poses technical challenges due to proximity to critical structures.
• Adjunctive techniques may enhance safety and efficacy in these cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the technical success of image-guided percutaneous cryoablation for renal masses in difficult locations.
• To assess the safety and long-term outcomes of using adjunctive techniques to protect adjacent structures.
• To report on the efficacy of cryoablation in challenging renal tumor cases.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 15 renal masses treated with percutaneous cryoablation using adjunctive techniques.
• Evaluation of tumor size, distance to adjacent organs before and after intervention.
• Assessment of ablation zone adequacy, protection of critical structures, and long-term follow-up for recurrence and complications.

Main Results:

• Adjunctive techniques included hydrodissection and balloon interposition.
• Median distance to the closest organ increased from 4mm to 26mm after adjunctive technique.
• All cases achieved successful ablation zones, protected critical structures, and showed no recurrence or complications at a median follow-up of 51 months.

Conclusions:

• Adjunctive techniques are technically successful for percutaneous cryoablation of renal masses in difficult locations.
• These methods ensure safety by protecting adjacent critical structures.
• Favorable long-term outcomes, including no recurrence or complications, were observed.