Ex Vivo Comparative Experiments Demonstrating the Ablation Effect of a Temperature-Controlled Radiofrequency Ablation System.

BACKGROUND

A temperature-controlled radiofrequency ablation (TC-RFA) system has been introduced to reduce excessive thermal damage and enable safer treatment. However, the ablation effect of this system remains to be fully elucidated. Therefore, this ex vivo study aimed to directly compare the ablation characteristics of the TC-RFA with those of a power-controlled RFA (PC-RFA).

METHODS

Pig liver specimens were used. The TC-RFA using all four probe types and the PC-RFA were performed step-by-step to macroscopically evaluate the ablation area and speed. Linear regression models with interaction terms were used to compare changes in ablation dimensions over time between RFA devices and probes.

RESULTS

The TC-RFA produced different short-axis ablation diameters depending on the probe even at the same temperature setting and generated an ablation effect at an earlier time, with substantially less change in ablation dimensions over time than the PC-RFA. In contrast, the PC-RFA had the slowest onset, but its ablation area continued to increase in width and depth with longer ablation durations. These differences in ablation behavior over time were statistically significant (Holm-adjusted p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In these exploratory ex vivo experiments, the TC-RFA system produced earlier and more consistent ablation effects over time than the PC-RFA system.