Percutaneous Microwave Ablation

[Guest guest]

I have used this device (through an oncologist in

Sacramento) on patients with excellent

success. The procedure is much faster than RFA

and a greater number of lesions can be

addressed. It can cook tumors up to two

inches. It is not a perfect device because we

still can't address lesions in the hilar regions

of the liver or lungs for fear of damaging any of the larger vessels.

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FDA Clears Percutaneous Microwave Tissue Ablation Device

Yael Waknine

August 20, 2010 ­ The US Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) has granted 501(k) clearance

for a percutaneous microwave tissue ablation

(pMTA) system (Acculis Accu2i; Microsulis

Medical, Ltd) to destroy unwanted soft tissue

masses such as tumors of the liver and lung.

The high-power, 2.45-GHz internally water-cooled,

1.8-mm diameter microwave needle can address

tumors up to 5 cm in size in 5 minutes ­ an

ablation rate 3 to 10 times faster than that

achieved by old-school radiofrequency-based

systems or lower-frequency 915-MHz microwave systems.

" This system gives surgeons and

interventionalists the ability to treat

previously inoperable patients and early data

suggests significantly improved clinical outcomes

for tumour control. " noted Lloyd, MD,

consultant HPB Surgeon from Leicester Royal

Infirmary, United Kingdom, in a company news

release. Dr. Lloyd created the system, along with

Nigel Cronin, PhD, and his microwave science team

from the University of Bath, United Kingdom.

Previously cleared for European use in February

2010, the pMTA system has been used to

successfully treat liver and lung tumors. Data

presented at the 9th World Congress of the

International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary

Association suggest promising outcomes for

patients with liver cancer compared with current

ablative therapies such as radiofrequency

ablation and cryotherapy, company officials stated.

" If the clinical performance of the system

confirms the early promise of this technology,

this advancement will lead to new treatment

options for lung and liver cancer patients, " said

Helton, MD, chairman of the

Department of Surgery at the Hospital of Saint

Raphael in New Haven, Connecticut, in a company

news release. " It will add a significant

additional tool into the armamentarium of

oncologists, surgeons and radiologists treating patients with this illness. "