Objective: The objective was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous irreversible electroporation (IRE) in porcine kidneys.
Materials and methods: Under CT guidance, two monopole probes were used to precisely puncture through the renal parenchyma into the renal hilum in nine anesthetized adult Bama miniature pigs. After which, IRE ablation was performed. Biochemical and pathological examinations were carried out 2 h, 2, 7, and 14 days after the procedure.
Results: All procedures were performed successfully without any serious complications such as bleeding, infection, or death. All pigs survived until the end of the study. Pathological examinations showed that cells in the ablation area were dead within 2 days after the procedure, whereas the vascular endothelium showed only slight damage. After 2 days, endothelialization ensued and regrowth of smooth muscle cells was observed after 14 days. Hemogram tests indicated a transient increase but gradually returned to baseline levels 14 days after the procedure.
Conclusion: IRE was essentially safe, however further studies on tumor ablation using several different animal models are needed.
Keywords: Ablation; computerized tomographic scanning; irreversible electroporation; kidney.