Cryoablation of lung malignancies recurring close to surgical clips following surgery: Report of three cases

Minimally ablative therapies are now available for the treatment of lung malignancies. However, selection of the appropriate technique is not always easy and requires accurate preoperative planning. To describe the treatment of lung tumors with cryoablation. We report three cases of lung malignancies that recurred close to surgical clips after surgical treatment, successfully treated by cryoablation. An initial freezing cycle was performed for 10 min, followed by a 5-min thawing cycle, and an additional 10-min freezing cycle. A final 5-min thaw was necessary to remove the needle from the iceball formed during the freezing cycle. The procedures were completed successfully with no signs of surgical-clip misplacement, and excellent ablation of the lesions. Cryoablation is a relatively new procedure that potentially permits the local treatment of lung tumors with minimal loss of lung parenchyma