Cryoablation and radiofrequency for kidney tumor.

The detection of incidental and asymptomatic renal cortical neoplasms has concomitantly increased with radiographic imaging use. The gold standard for treating small renal tumors includes open and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. Ablative renal procedures intend to duplicate the excellent oncologic outcomes of partial nephrectomy, while decreasing complications and shortening hospitalization time and convalescence. Only short and medium-term data are available, but ablation with cryotherapy or radiofrequency probes may achieve these goals. Ablation also offers the advantages of a minimally invasive surgical approach, with a significantly lower complication rate than partial nephrectomy. Ablated lesions are typically left in situ. Leaving potentially malignant tissues in place, albeit in a nonviable condition, certainly represents a major change in surgical thinking processes. This article reviews the status of cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation, the two ablative modalities currently available for clinical application.