Percutaneous renal tumor ablation

Background and indications

This technique is offered for small renal tumors (generally ≤4 cm, stage T1a) in patients who are not surgical candidates or who wish to maximally preserve renal function. It is particularly useful for solitary kidneys, bilateral tumors or renal insufficiency.

Benefits

Ablation preserves more renal tissue than surgery, which is crucial for maintaining long-term kidney function. Recovery is fast and oncological outcomes are comparable to surgery for small tumors.

Procedure

Under general anesthesia, one or more needles are placed in the renal tumor under CT guidance. Cryoablation (freezing) is the most commonly used technique for kidneys. Two freeze-thaw cycles are performed. The procedure lasts 1-2 hours.

Risks

Complications include bleeding (perirenal hematoma), urinary tract injury, infection or, rarely, damage to a neighboring organ (colon, psoas muscle). Kidney function monitoring is performed.

Recovery and follow-up

1-2 night hospitalization. Follow-up CT scan at 1 month, 6 months, then annually for 5 years to monitor for recurrence.

Practical information

General anesthesia. Hospital stay: one to two nights.