Major Complications After Lung Microwave Ablation: A Single-Center Experience on 204 Sessions

Thermal Ablation of Lung Tumors: Focus on Microwave Ablation

“…Some authors recommend prophylactic antibiosis before and two days after ablation. In our institution, however, therapy is administered only in clinically manifest cases [13]. Lung abscess is another infectious periprocedural complication that can appear in 0.5 -1.5 % of cases [1,13].…”

“…higher risk of development of a pneumothorax. Tumors located in the lower parts of the lungs (higher mobility), the traversal of lung fissures and lung emphysema, are also associated with an increased pneumothorax risk [13,54,81,82]. In most cases, the pneumothorax is small and does not require additional treatment.…”

“…A fistula can become manifest during or shortly after ablation or it can appear in the weeks or months subsequent to the treatment, as the necrotic tissue of a subpleural ablation is evacuated and a new communication is formed. This complication is very rare and the treatment consists of pleurodesis, surgery, bronchoscopic management or a combination of these [13,17,54,84].…”

“…They appear more often if the ablation is subpleural and are caused by an inflammatory reaction of the pleura [13,86]. Large, symptomatic pleural effusions occur after 0 -7.7 % of treatments and can be managed by insertion of a drain [12,13,16,17,22].…”

“…In our institution, however, therapy is administered only in clinically manifest cases [13]. Lung abscess is another infectious periprocedural complication that can appear in 0.5 -1.5 % of cases [1,13]. Patients with cavity formation, but also with emphysema have been reported to have an increased risk for abscess [1,13,87].…”