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Beyond Cholecystostomy: Cryoablation for High-Risk Gallbladder Disease
Dimitrios Giannis1, Panagiota Gianni2, Georgios Geropoulos3
1Department of Surgery, Flushing Hospital Medical Center, Queens, NY, USA.
The American Surgeon
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Cryoablation shows promise for treating cholecystitis in high-risk patients, offering a feasible alternative to surgery. However, its use in gallbladder cancer (GBC) is experimental, requiring more research due to limited data and potential complications.
Area of Science:
- Interventional Radiology
- Oncology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Cryoablation is an established treatment for various conditions.
- It is being explored for cholecystitis in patients unsuitable for surgery.
- Cryoablation is also investigated as an adjunct therapy for invasive gallbladder cancer (GBC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the efficacy and safety of cryoablation for cholecystitis and GBC.
- To conduct pooled survival analysis for GBC patients treated with cryoablation.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed and Embase.
- Studies on cryoablation for cholecystitis and GBC were identified.
- Pooled overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed for GBC.
Main Results:
- For cholecystitis (n=29), cryoablation demonstrated efficacy between 86%-100% with a mean hospital stay of 3.9 days, but reported complications like infection and scrotal edema.
- For GBC (n=12), outcomes were limited, with 33.3% experiencing complications and a 36.3% recurrence rate. Median DFS was 10 months, and 1-year OS was 83.3%.
Conclusions:
- Cryoablation is a feasible treatment for cholecystitis in high-risk patients, comparable to percutaneous cholecystostomy.
- Cryoablation for GBC is experimental, with current evidence limited by small sample sizes and retrospective data.
- Further prospective studies are essential to confirm cryoablation's efficacy and safety in GBC and high-risk populations.
