Radiofrequency percutaneous ablation of osteoid osteoma is a minimally invasive therapeutic procedure, which is performed with a special needle that generates heat at the tip on an area of several millimeters to several centimeters and thus destroys the tumor tissue, which causes bone pain in OO.
The needle is introduced through a small opening, without the need for a large incision, and is introduced precisely under CT control to the tumor, which is then treated with heat, in order to destroy it and achieve the same effect as surgical removal.
When do you need thermal ablation of a bone tumor?
Osteoid osteoma is a benign bone tumor that appears in young and middle age predominantly in the axial skeleton and long bones and characteristically causes intense pain.
In the last 10 years, ablation has become the method of choice in the treatment of this disease, since it is highly effective, it allows you to go home the next day after the procedure and return to normal activities within 3-5 days, when all the pain usually disappears.
Osteoid osteoma can be treated by surgical resection, but considering that it is a small tumor, which is often located in locations that are difficult to access for resection, percutaneous thermal ablation enables the therapy of even the most difficult-to-access lesions. The advantage of ablation as a minimally invasive method is a shorter recovery, lower risk of intervention and high efficiency.
What does RF ablation of osteoid osteoma include?
Percutaneous thermal RF ablation of this bone tumor is a minimally invasive method, which means that it is performed by guiding a needle with a diameter of about 1.5-2 mm precisely to the tumor under CT control. After that, the tumor tissue, the nidus, is thermally destroyed with an ablation needle for 10 minutes, with heat of about 100 degrees. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia, with the patient lying down.
How to prepare?
When making an appointment for ablation, the patient receives information from the specialist interventional radiologist about the procedure, possible advantages and risks, as well as written instructions on preparation (instructions on laboratory findings that need to be done, on antibiotic protection - prophylaxis and on the procedure if anticoagulant therapy is taken). The procedure is performed under general anesthesia and lasts about 60-90 minutes. After the procedure, the patient remains in the ward for 24 hours for observation in order to rule out complications.