Efficacy and Acceptability of Thermal Ablation in Patients with Positive Documented Visual Inspection with Acetic...

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of thermal ablation (TA) as a treatment modality in patients with positive Documented Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (Do-VIA) results, in a low-resource clinical setting.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the VIA clinic of Cipto Mangunkusumo National Referral Hospital (RSCM), Jakarta, Indonesia, from January to July 2024. Patients with positive VIA-DoVIA results were treated with thermal ablation therapy (also known as cold coagulation) and followed up for three months to assess clinical outcomes and acceptability.

Out of 99 patients who underwent VIA screening, 47 tested positive. Of these, 35 received thermal ablation therapy. Three months post-treatment, 25 patients tested negative on VIA, while only 3 patients remained VIA-positive. Patient-reported side effects included clear vaginal discharge (52%), vaginal discharge with blood spots (3%), itchy discharge (38%), and short-term vaginal spotting (7%). No severe adverse events were reported.

Thermal ablation therapy appears to be an effective and well-tolerated alternative to cryotherapy for the treatment of cervical precancerous lesions. It demonstrates good efficacy, minimal side effects, and high acceptability among healthcare providers in low-resource settings.