No, ablation does not relate in any way to a coronary artery. Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary is the defining point to PTCA. Is the PTCA/Athr Intvl field tracking time between the last prior PTCA and CABG? So if a patient had a PTCA in 1984 and a CABG in 2000, would it be marked >6 hours? Or does this field pertain to PTCA/Ather Intvl during the admission of the CABG. Yes. Primary or direct stenting is done without angioplasty. All stent placement does not require angioplasty.

RFA has been used with success to treat primary liver cancer (otherwise known as hepatocellular carcinoma) and cancers that have spread to the liver from other places, such as colon cancer. Surgical resection of these tumors in carefully selected patients can lead to significant long-term survival but only a small percentage of these patients are candidates for surgery.

There are three basic types of systems used for RF ablation procedures. The specific RFA system and guidance method are chosen based on location and size of the tumor to be treated, proximity of large vessels, bleeding risk, the pathway that the needle-electrode has to take to enter the tumor, and the importance of minimizing collateral damage. The systems differ based on the length and configuration of the active tip of the needle-electrode.

Before the procedure, you will be asked to have nothing to eat or drink starting at midnight the evening before treatment. Your list of medications will be reviewed with our staff at the time of your consultation and you will be told which medications you may take in the morning of the procedure. If you are taking Coumadin, Plavix, or another blood thinner, you may need to stop taking that medication several days before the procedure.

Based on available data, outcomes appear to be excellent for patients with unresectable primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Reports show that well over 3,000 primary and metastatic liver tumors have been treated with RFA. These studies suggest that complete local response can be seen in 70-75% of patients with tumors ranging in diameter between 3 and 5 cm.

After the procedure, you may receive additional medication to prevent pain and nausea as the sedation wears off. Almost all of our patients are admitted overnight after the procedure to make sure that any pain is addressed with medication and to be certain that there are no post-procedure complications. You will need someone to take you home on the morning after the procedure. Once you arrive home, you can expect to have some mild post-procedure side effects.

Procedure-related complications tend to be unusual after RFA and tend to be dependent on the part of the body being treated.

After RFA, all patients require follow-up imaging on a regular basis to determine if the treated lesions have grown or if new lesions have developed. We typically perform a CT scan in 1 month, which then serves as our new “baseline” for future imaging. CT scans are then performed at 3 month intervals for 1 year. If the disease is stable at that point, this changes to performing CT scans at 6 month intervals.

Endovenous Radiofrequency Ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that has rendered vein stripping all but obsolete. The procedure consists of placing a catheter into the diseased vein through a needle puncture with virtually no scarring.   Radiofrequency energy (heat) is then applied that destroys the vein wall from the inside. There is minimal discomfort and patients typically resume their active lifestyles immediately.

The Radiofrequency ablation device used by the Liver Tumor Ablation Program has FDA 510K marketing authorization. The FDA typically does not approve devices but authorizes them for marketing. Surgical are not approved in the same manner as medications.

This is a procedure done at the surgery center to help control or stop abnormal bleeding or heavy periods. It is a painless and quick procedure done while you are asleep for 15 minutes. You can go home in 1 - 2 hours after the procedure and resume normal activity the next day. You cannot attempt pregnancy after this procedure is done. This is a simple option to alleviate abnormal bleeding and/or heavy periods without needing a hysterectomy!

Endovenous Laser Ablation Treatment is a treatment alternative to surgical stripping of the greater saphenous vein. A small laser fiber is inserted, usually through a needle stick in the skin, into the damaged vein. Pulses of laser light are delivered inside the vein, which causes the vein to collapse and seal shut. The procedure is done in-office under local anesthesia. Following the procedure a bandage or compression hose is placed on the treated leg.

ablation is a way to stop fast heart beats by interrupting an electrical short circuit. This allows the heart to beat at a regular, slower rate. An electrophysiologic study (EPS) must be done (refer to Learning for Life EPS) to determine the location of the abnormality in the heart's electrical system. Radio frequency (RF) ablation will be attempted during the first EPS or during a separate session.

Probably the most important use for RF energy is in providing telecommunications services. Radio and television broadcasting, cellular telephones, personal communications services (PCS), pagers, cordless telephones, business radio, radio communications for police and fire departments, amateur radio, microwave point-to-point links and satellite communications are just a few of the many telecommunications applications of RF energy.

RF electromagnetic wave or RF "field" has both an electric and a magnetic component (electric field and magnetic field), and it is often convenient to express the intensity of the RF environment at a given location in terms of units specific for each component.

Some studies have also examined the possibility of a link between RF and microwave exposure and cancer. Results to date have been inconclusive. While some experimental data have suggested a possible link between exposure and tumor formation in animals exposed under certain specific conditions, the results have not been independently replicated. In fact, other studies have failed to find evidence for a causal link to cancer or any related condition.

Radiofrequency (RF) fields are part of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. The EM spectrum is divided into ionizing and non-ionizing bands based on how the wave interacts with biological tissue. The non-ionizing portion, usually in the frequency range up to 300 GHz, doesn't affect biological tissue and includes the extremely low frequency (ELF) band, radio waves and microwaves in the radiofrequency communication band, and infrared and visible light.

The cause of chronic pain is not clear. When you have an injury or illness, certain nerves send pain signals to your brain. With chronic pain, these pain signals continue for weeks, months, or even years after you recover. Chronic pain can develop after a major injury or illness, such as a back injury or shingles, or it can develop without a known cause. It is also possible that certain brain chemicals that usually suppress pain may not work properly.

Minor complications include fluid around the heart or lung, breathing problems, nerve injury, pneumonia, and low blood pressure, bleeding or infection. Major complications include death, stroke, accidental damage to the normal pathway (the AV node) requiring a permanent pacemaker, perforation of the heart, heart attack, collapsed lung and blood-clot formation.