Safety and Efficacy of Cryoablation of Renal Tumors in a High-Risk Patient Population at a Community Hospital

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous cryoablation for the treatment of renal masses in a high surgical risk population stratified by Charlson Comorbidity Index treated at a community hospital and to determine parameters associated with higher complication rates. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients with renal masses treated with image-guided percutaneous cryoablation between 2007 and 2013 was performed. Results: A total of 121 tumors were ablated in 105 patients. The mean patient age was 70 years old. Comorbidities included morbid obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, pulmonary disease, cigarette use, and renal insufficiency. Mean tumor size treated was 3.15 cm in largest diameter, ranging from 1.4 to 6.5 cm. Complications were observed in 16 cases. The most common complication was perinephric and/or pararenal hemorrhage. Procedures with >3.5 probes, hemoglobin >12.5 g/dl, tumor size >3.55 cm, and age >75 years were all associated with greater likelihood of complications. Conclusions: Our experience with percutaneous cryoablation of small renal masses offers similar results in efficacy to published data in patients with significant comorbidities. In addition, the results of our study show that percutaneous cryoablation is relatively safe in patients with renal cancer who are poor surgical candidates but warrants special consideration. Parameters associated with higher rates of complications have been established, which may be used by physicians as a guide.