Three Cases of Thermal Ablation of the Gallbladder

Akira Fuse, Ichiro Hirai*, Hiroshi Kuzu, Shuichi Ishiyama, Masahiro Urayama, Yukio Igarashi, Masaru Tsukamoto

First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Yamagata University
*Tohkai Memorial Hospital

Gallbladder ablation by injection of hot contrast medium was attempted in three patients. Surgical cholecystectomy was considered a less desirable option because of unresectable malignant tumors (2 case) and the patient's poor health (1 case). To prevent further episodes of cholecystitis and because of the patient's desire not to have an external drainage catheter, thermal ablation of the gallbladder was planned. After the skin and deeper tissue around the catheter and gallbladder mucosa anesthetized with lidocaine, boiling contrast medium was injected one or two times into the gallbladder for 30 sec∼2 min. Thermal alblation was performed again by the same protocol in one patient. None of the patients experienced severe pain during the procedure or complications after procedure. The drainage tubes could be removed after thermal ablation in two patients. No demonstrable gallbladder lumen was seen in one patient. Gallbladder ablation with boiling contrast medium may offer a simple, safe, and effective alternative to surgical cholecystectomy in selected patients.

Key words
cholecystitis, gallbladder, thermal ablation

Reprint requests
Akira Fuse First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Yamagata University
JAPAN

Accepted
July 2, 1997

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