Hepatic Artery Thrombosis: A Rare Complication of Microwave Ablation in Hepatocelluar Carcinoma

Abstract

Microwave ablation (MWA) has become a popular therapeutic technique in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) alongside cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation, and liver resection/transplantation in patients with limited tumor burden. Generally well tolerated, and not as invasive as surgery, the technique results in low mortality and complication rates. We report the exceedingly rare complication of hepatic artery thrombosis with subsequent fatal ischemia of the left hepatic lobe in a 64-year-old female with cirrhosis and HCC who underwent MWA.

Percutaneous Ablation of Hepatic Tumors at the Hepatocaval Confluence Using Irreversible Electroporation: A Preliminary Study

“…Therefore, the existence of the hepatic vein and inferior vena cava near the tumor will inevitably affect the success rate of tumor ablation at the hepatocaval confluence. Damage to hollow organs, such as blood vessels, bile ducts, pancreatic ducts, and gallbladder, may lead to complications [ 4 , 5 , 6 ] and further causes incomplete ablation [ 7 ]. There are two main difficulties in the heat-based ablation of tumor at the hepatocaval confluence.…”