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Principles and Safety of Microwave Ablation

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The SAGES Manual on the Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy (FUSE)

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Abstract

Microwave ablation (MWA) is a form of thermal ablation that uses electromagnetic waves to establish a microwave near-field where direct tissue heating occurs by a phenomenon called dielectric heating. MWA does not rely on electric current and is not subject to the limitations that electric current imposes. The shape of the MW near-field is determined by MW frequency and antenna design whereas the amount of energy deposited into the near-field and the final ablation size is determined by the power and duration of ablation as well as the type of tissue being targeted. MWA does not appear to be as sensitive to “thermal sink” as current-dependent thermal ablation modalities due to higher temperatures and shorter ablation times. The user should be familiar with manufacturer recommendations for ablation settings for the MWA equipment that they have selected. The user should also be aware of significant differences in safety precautions between MWA and RFA when using MWA equipment. When used appropriately, MWA can provide exceptional complete ablation rates with minimal morbidity for a wide range of primary and metastatic lesions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, USA

    Ryan Z. Swan MD & David A. Iannitti MD, FACS

Authors
  1. Ryan Z. Swan MD
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  2. David A. Iannitti MD, FACS
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Steinberg-Bernstein Chair in Minimally, McGill University Health Centre Director, Division of General Surgery, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Liane Feldman

  2. Hepatobiliary and Oncologic Surgery, The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. Walnut Creek Medical Center, Walnut Creek, California, USA

    Pascal Fuchshuber

  3. Center (BIDMC), Harvard Medical School Beth Israel Deaconess Medical, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Daniel B. Jones

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© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Swan, R.Z., Iannitti, D.A. (2012). Principles and Safety of Microwave Ablation. In: Feldman, L., Fuchshuber, P., Jones, D. (eds) The SAGES Manual on the Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy (FUSE). Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2074-3_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2074-3_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-2073-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-2074-3

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