Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation (RFA)

Ablation is a medical term that refers to any procedure performed to destroy diseased or damaged tissue in the body. Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation is a technique in which a thin tube, or catheter, is inserted through the skin or threaded through the blood vessels to the site of disease. Extreme heat or cold, alcohol, chemotherapy drugs or other therapies are delivered through the catheter to the diseased tissue.

RFA treats disease with heat, a technique preferred by many cancer experts because it can reliably destroy a small, targeted area of tissue without healthy affecting structures beyond the treatment site. With RFA, the doctor can pinpoint target areas with accuracy and monitor and control the temperature of heat therapy.

Note: Catheter ablation also can be performed by surgeons as a surgical procedure called intra-operative catheter ablation. There are a number of differences between surgery and interventional radiology (IR). IR treatment tools are usually inserted through a small nick in the skin. There are no surgical incisions, no stitches and no scars. General anesthesia is not needed for many IR procedures, and in most cases they are less painful and have fewer risks and complications than surgery. Most conditions treated with IR can be done in an outpatient setting, or require hospitalization for only a brief time. Patients treated with IR can expect shorter hospital stays - and faster recoveries - than surgical patients. Many people resume normal activities within a few days after RFA or other IR procedures.