Table 2.
Technical details and complications of the RFA procedures
| Ablation access | Percutaneous | 75 (97%) |
| Open surgical | 2 (3%) | |
| Imaging guidance | US | 36 (47%) |
| CT | 8 (10%) | |
| CT & US | 33 (43%) | |
| Total RFA procedures | 1 RFA | 58 (75%) |
| 2 RFA | 12 (16%) | |
| 3 RFA | 5 (6%) | |
| 4 RFA | 2 (3%) | |
| Mean/ patient | 1.4 (range 1–4) | |
| Number of tumours ablateda | 1 tumour | 70 (91%) |
| 2 tumours | 6 (8%) | |
| 3 tumors | 0 (0%) | |
| 4 tumors | 1 (1%) | |
| Mean number ablated | 1.1 (range 1–4) | |
| Diameter of largest tumour nodulea | 2.6 cm (range 0.6–4.5 cm) | |
| Ablation electrodes utilized | LeVeen | 61 (79%) |
| Cool-tip | 7 (9%) | |
| Berchtold | 7 (9%) | |
| RITA StarBurst | 2 (3%) | |
| Primary technique effectivenessab | 83% (64/77) | |
| Complications | Major none | |
| Minor n = 2 | Left portal vein thrombus | |
| Vasovagal reaction | ||
| No deaths | ||
a
Data presented for the first RFA procedure only.
b
Defined as patients with a complete radiological response as measured on the first contrast enhanced imaging post-ablation.
LeVeen electrode (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA); Cool-tip electrode (Covidien/Valleylab, Boulder, CO); Berchtold electrode (Integra LifeSciences, Plainsboro, NJ); RITA StarBurst electrode (AngioDynamics, Queensbury, NY).
RFA, radiofrequency ablation; US, ultrasound; CT, computed tomography; cm, centimetres.