![]() The energy-emitting probe (electrode) is at the tip of a catheter which is placed into the heart, usually through a vein. It is used in recurrent atrial flutter (Afl), atrial fibrillation (AF), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), atrial tachycardia, Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia (MAT) and some types of ventricular arrhythmia. Radiofrequency energy is used in heart tissue or normal parts to destroy abnormal electrical pathways that are contributing to a cardiac arrhythmia. The catheter reaches (from below) through the inferior vena cava, the right atrium and the left atrium, to the orifice of the left upper pulmonary vein. See also: Catheter ablation Schematic view of a pulmonary vein ablation. radiation therapy, chemotherapy, palliative surgery, bisphosphonates or analgesic medications). RFA is also increasingly used in the palliative treatment of painful metastatic bone disease in people who are not eligible or do not respond to traditional therapies ( i.e. While initial success rates with RFA are high, symptom recurrence after RFA treatment has been reported, with some studies demonstrating a recurrence rate similar to that of surgical treatment. Since the procedure was first introduced for the treatment of osteoid osteomas in the 1990s, it has been shown in numerous studies to be less invasive and expensive, to result in less bone destruction and to have equivalent safety and efficacy to surgical techniques, with 66 to 95% of people reporting freedom from symptoms. RFA has become increasingly important in the care of benign bone tumors, most notably osteoid osteomas. ![]() Radiofrequency ablation is also used in pancreatic cancer and bile duct cancer. A method currently in phase III trials uses the low-level heat (hyperthermia) created by the RFA probe to trigger release of concentrated chemotherapeutic drugs from heat-sensitive liposomes in the margins around the ablated tissue as a treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RFA may be combined with locally delivered chemotherapy to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer). RFA can usually be administered as an outpatient procedure, though may at times require a brief hospital stay. The suitability of RFA for a particular tumor depends on multiple factors. RFA can be used with small tumors, whether these arose within the organ (primary tumors) or spread to the organ ( metastases). The radiofrequency waves passing through the probe increase the temperature within tumor tissue, which results in destruction of the tumor. Once the diagnosis of tumor is confirmed, a needle-like RFA probe is placed inside the tumor. RFA may be performed to treat tumors in the lung, liver, kidney, and bone, as well as other body organs less commonly. Tumors CT scan showing radiofrequency ablation of a liver lesion RFA procedures are performed under image guidance (such as X-ray screening, CT scan or ultrasound) by an interventional pain specialist (such as an anesthesiologist), interventional radiologist, otolaryngologists, a gastrointestinal or surgical endoscopist, or a cardiac electrophysiologist, a subspecialty of cardiologists. ĭocumented benefits have led to RFA becoming widely used during the 21st century. Two important advantages of radio frequency current (over previously used low frequency AC or pulses of DC) are that it does not directly stimulate nerves or heart muscle and therefore can often be used without the need for general anesthesia, and that it is very specific for treating the desired tissue without significant collateral damage due to this, it is gaining in popularity as an alternative for eligible patients who do not want to undergo surgery. When it is delivered via catheter, it is called radiofrequency catheter ablation. RFA is generally conducted in the outpatient setting, using either local anesthetics or twilight anesthesia. Radiofrequency ablation ( RFA), also called fulguration, is a medical procedure in which part of the electrical conduction system of the heart, tumor or other dysfunctional tissue is ablated using the heat generated from medium frequency alternating current (in the range of 350–500 kHz).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |