Ablation Therapy

What is ablation therapy?

Ablation therapy is a treatment that uses extreme cold or heat to destroy (ablate) diseased tissue. Some healthcare providers call it ablative therapy.

Ablation therapy is a minimally invasive procedure. Your provider can use ablation without open, major surgery. It has a faster recovery time than typical surgery.

Types of ablation

Ablation therapy destroys cells that cause health conditions or dangerous symptoms.

There are lots of specific kinds of ablation therapy. But they all fit into two main types:

• Cryoablation. Cryoablation uses extremely cold gas to destroy diseased tissue. Tissue freezes and thaws, starving cells of blood and oxygen. Providers sometimes call this cryotherapy or cryosurgery.
• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA). RFA uses intense heat from electrical radio waves to destroy cells. Your provider might use microwave ablation (MWA) or lasers to generate the heat.

What does ablation therapy treat?

Healthcare providers use ablation therapy to treat many conditions throughout your body, including:

• Cancer. Providers use ablation to treat many types of cancer. It’s also a common treatment to remove precancerous tissue that can cause skin cancer or cervical cancer. Your provider can destroy abnormal cells before they become cancer. Providers use ablation to treat certain types of prostate and kidney cancer, too.
• Heart rhythm problems. Cardiac ablation is ablation therapy for your heart. It can restore a normal heartbeat when you have a heart rhythm problem (arrhythmia). There are a few different types of cardiac ablation, depending on what’s causing the arrhythmia.
• Heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia). You might need endometrial ablation if you have frequent heavy menstrual bleeding. It destroys a targeted amount of the lining in your uterus to reduce the heavy bleeding during your period.
• Pain. Your provider might suggest ablation to help you manage chronic pain. They’ll destroy specific cells that cause chronic pain or make it worse.
• Seizure disorders. Ablation can treat epilepsy and other seizure disorders. Your provider can destroy the cells in your brain that cause seizures.
• Varicose veins. Providers use endovenous thermal ablation to manage varicose veins. They’ll seal off your affected blood vessels to restore blood flow to healthy veins.

How should I prepare for ablation therapy?

It depends on which type of ablation therapy you need. Your provider will give you specific prep instructions based on your unique situation.

You might have to avoid eating and drinking (fast) for a few hours before your ablation appointment.

Tell your provider which medications and over-the-counter supplements you take. They’ll tell you if you need to stop taking any of them before your procedure.

You probably won’t be able to drive yourself home. Make a plan for someone to pick you up, or arrange transportation ahead of time.

What happens during ablation?

The exact steps of your procedure will depend on where in your body you need ablation and which condition your provider is treating. In general, the steps include:

• Anesthesia. Your provider may numb the area around where you need ablation with a local anesthesia. You might need general anesthesia for some types. This means an anesthesiologist will put you to sleep so you don’t feel anything during the procedure.
• Punctures or incisions. Your provider will make small holes (punctures) or cuts (incisions) in your skin. They’ll insert the ablation device through your skin to reach the cells that need to be destroyed. The ablation device is a handheld wand with thin wires (probes) that carry either cold or heat.
• Imaging tests to guide the procedure. Your provider will use an imaging test to give them real-time pictures of the inside of your body. This will help them guide the ablation device and reach the correct cells. They may use ultrasound, MRI, CT scan, fluoroscopy or a laparoscope to guide the probes.

How long does ablation take?

It depends on which type of procedure you need.

For example, ablation inside an organ like your brain, heart or uterus will take longer than a procedure to remove precancerous skin cells.

Your provider will tell you what to expect ahead of time.

What happens after?

Some types of ablations are outpatient procedures. That means you can go home the same day. More complex ablations are usually inpatient, which means you’ll have to spend at least one night in the hospital.

Either way, you’ll need to spend a few hours in a recovery area after your procedure. Your care team will monitor your vital signs and pain levels.

They’ll tell you when it’s safe for you to go home.

What are the benefits of ablation therapy?

Ablation therapy is less invasive than open, major surgery. If you have cancer, you can continue other treatments like chemotherapy at the same time.

Other benefits include:

• Faster recovery with less pain and bleeding than open surgery
• Shorter hospital stays (or no hospitalization)
• Smaller incisions and minimal scarring

What are the risks and side effects?

Ablation therapy is a safe procedure that has fewer risks than major surgery. However, complications can occur, including:

• Blood clots
• Bruising
• Damage to blood vessels, nerves or nearby organs
• Hemorrhage (bleeding)
• Infections
• Scarring
• Stroke or heart attack(these severe complications are rare)

What is the recovery time for an ablation?

Each kind of ablation has a slightly different recovery time. Recovery can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

You might have to stay home from work or school for a few days after an ablation to rest.

Your provider will give you a specific recovery timeline, including:

• How to prevent infections (you may need to take antibiotics)
• Instructions on managing your pain with prescription or over-the-counter medications
• Weight lifting limits (you may need to avoid lifting objects heavier than a few pounds for a while)
• When it’s safe to resume physical activity or exercise

When should I call my healthcare provider?

Call your healthcare provider right away if you experience any of the following:

• Excessive bleeding
• Nausea and vomiting
• Severe pain
• Signs of infection like fever, discharge at your surgery site, discolored skin or a feeling of heat or warmth