Technical safety and efficacy of a blunt-tip microwave ablation electrode for CT-guided ablation of pulmonary ground-glass opacity nodules.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the safety and technical efficacy of a customized blunt-tip microwave ablation (MWA) electrode for CT-guided ablation of pulmonary ground-glass opacity nodules (GGOs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective before-after study. All consented patients with GGOs who underwent MWA treatment using conventional sharp-tip electrodes (group A) between January 2018 and December 2018 or new blunt-tip electrodes (group B) between January 2019 and December 2019 in our institution were included. The individual features of each patient and lesion, as well as technical and clinical information, were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

Sixteen (7 males, 9 females; mean age, 64.9 ± 12.3 years) and twenty-six (11 males, 15 females; mean age, 66.5 ± 10.7 years) patients were enrolled in groups A and B, respectively. The technique was successfully performed in all patients and a follow-up CT scan at 24 h after MWA showed that the technical efficacy rate was 100% in both groups. Twelve (75.0%) grade I complications were noted in group A, whereas 11 (42.3%) were noted in group B (p = 0.039, chi-square test). No bleeding occurred within the lesions in group B.

CONCLUSIONS

The blunt-tip MWA electrode is a safe and technically effective tool for ablating GGO lesions.

KEY POINTS

• A new blunt-tip MWA electrode was used for CT-guided ablation of GGO lesions. • The blunt-tip MWA electrode could improve the safety of GGO ablation. • The technical efficacy of ablation was maintained by using the blunt-tip MWA electrode.