Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2025
Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Abdominal Tumors
Published on: March 7, 2011
Cryoablation in the liver: how accurately does the iceball predict the ablation zone?
Shamar Young1, Artyom Abramyan2, Dan Goldberg2
1Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Arizona, 1501 N Campbell Ave, PO Box 245067, Tucson, AZ, 85724, USA. shamar@arizona.edu.
Purpose:
To evaluate the accuracy with which the iceball predicts the realized ablation zone in patients undergoing cryoablation of the liver.
Materials And Methods:
Continuous patients who underwent cryoablation of primary or secondary malignancies of the liver were retrospectively reviewed. Iceball and ablation zone dimensions on 1 month follow up imaging were collected in three orientations, the long axis (LA), perpendicular transverse (PTR), and perpendicular craniocaudal (PCC). Factors which may predict differences in the measurements were evaluated with regression analysis. Oncologic outcomes were also collected.
Results:
The mean size of the iceball was 5.5 ± 1.1 cm, 3.9 ± 1.1 cm, and 4.4 ± 1.4 cm in the LA, PTR, and PCC orientations, respectively. The mean size of the one-month ablation cavity was 4.3 ± 1.3 cm, 3 ± 1.1 cm, and 3 ± 1.3 cm in the LA, PTR, and PCC orientations, respectively. The iceball was significantly larger than the ablation zone in all orientations (p < 0.001). When comparing HCC and non-HCC patients the Kaplan-Meier analysis of TTLP, the Kaplan Meier curves deviated significantly (p = 0.015, HR 2.26 (95%CI 1.17-4.37)). When a similar analysis was performed looking at TTP again the curves diverged significantly (p = 0.002, HR 2.4 (95%CI 1.37-4.19)).
Conclusion:
The iceball seems to overestimate the realized ablation zone by about 1 cm in all orientations during hepatic cryoablation.
More Related Videos
06:25Cooling or Warming the Esophagus to Reduce Esophageal Injury During Left Atrial Ablation in the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: March 15, 2020
11:03Direct Pressure Monitoring Accurately Predicts Pulmonary Vein Occlusion During Cryoballoon Ablation
Published on: February 26, 2013