• Hong Jun Kim, Dong-Wan Seo, Aizan Hassanuddin, Su-Hui Kim, Hee Jung Chae, Ji Woong Jang, Do Hyun Park, Sang Soo Lee, Sung-Koo Lee, and Myung-Hwan Kim.
• Department of Gastroenterology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
• Gastrointest. Endosc. 2012 Nov 1;76(5):1039-43.

BackgroundEUS-guided radiofrequency ablation (EUS-RFA) could be used as an adjunct and effective alternative mode of treatment for unresectable locally advanced and nonmetastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. However, its translation into clinical practice has been restricted because of limited data and high procedure-related risk.ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of EUS-RFA in the normal porcine pancreas.DesignProspective, endoscopic, experimental study in a porcine model.SettingTertiary-care referral center animal laboratory.PatientsAnimal study.InterventionEUS-RFA of the pancreas was attempted on 10 adult mini pigs. An 18-gauge endoscopic RFA electrode was used to puncture the body and tail of the pancreas, with an output power of 50 W for 5 minutes.Main Outcome MeasurementsThe feasibility, efficacy, and safety of EUS-RFA.ResultsA spherical necrotic lesion surrounded by fibrous tissue localized in the pancreatic parenchyma was observed on histopathologic examination. The mean diameter of the ablated tissue was 23.0 ± 6.9 mm. No major procedure-related complications were noted, and all pigs survived without any distress behavioral pattern for 7 days until autopsy.LimitationsSmall sample size with short-term observation and the lack of evaluation of the head of the pancreas.ConclusionEUS-RFA of the pancreatic body and tail was feasible, effective, and relatively safe in a porcine model. More animal studies to assess damage to adjacent organs are required before human trials can be conducted.Copyright © 2012 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

14 keywords...

hide…