Princeton Baptist Medical Center recently performed its first renal cryoablation, a minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment that destroys tumors through freezing to less than -40 degrees Celsius, resulting in cell death. Cryoablation is effective for localized kidney cancer, as well as some liver and lung cancers, and provides an advantage by sparing healthy kidney tissue and can be repeated as necessary.

Given the procedure's minimally invasive approach, the recovery process is relatively easy with most patients having little post-procedural pain and going home the next day. Five-year oncologic outcomes after image-guided cryoablation for clinical T1 renal cell carcinoma are competitive with those of surgical resection with overall low morbidity and short hospital stays.

Princeton Baptist's first case presented as the typical renal cell carcinoma well-suited to ablation as it was less than three centimeters, partially exophytic, posterior in location and away from bowel. As well, the patient was a relatively poor open operative candidate. The procedure was performed by Interventional Radiologist, Dr. Robert Hines, IV and assisted by the interventional radiology and anesthesia teams.

As the only hospital within the Brookwood Baptist Health System now performing this procedure, Princeton Baptist looks forward to extending this option to patients across the market.