Irreversible Electroporation of the Pancreas: Definitive Local Therapy without Systemic Effects

Time-dependent impact of irreversible electroporation on pancreas, liver, blood vessels and nerves: a systematic review of experimental studies

“…One animal developed a secondary peak in serum amylase, which normalized again after the wound was opened and packed [38]. One study reported elevated ALT levels in pigs, 0-60 U/L above normal levels [38]. This study also reported a transient hypoglycaemia at 1 and 3 hours post-ablation in all animals, which normalized after 24 hours [38].…”

“…Four studies on pancreatic tissue were included, performing IRE in 26 pigs [38][39][40][41]. All ablations were performed in vivo in healthy pancreatic tissue.…”

“…All animals survived the treatment. Two animals were excluded from the initial analyses due to improper placement of the electrodes (n = 1), or inability to produce a stable current (n = 1) [38]. Times between IRE and euthanasia varied from 1 hour until 28 days after treatment.…”

“…Three studies reported on the systemic effects of IRE on in vivo pancreatic tissue [38,40,41]. No severe pancreatitis was reported in these studies.…”

“…Only mild signs of pancreatitis were observed, characterized by a transient increase in white blood cells, amylase and lipase, which normalized by post-ablation day 3 [38,40]. One animal developed a secondary peak in serum amylase, which normalized again after the wound was opened and packed [38]. One study reported elevated ALT levels in pigs, 0-60 U/L above normal levels [38].…”