title: Technology for in situ ablation by laparoscopic and image-guided interstitial laser hyperthermia.
abstract: The technical requirements have been fulfilled for the reliable clinical application of laser-induced thermotherapy for treating liver tumors. Laparotomy as well as percutaneous and laparoscopic access modes are available for this method. Thus, laser-induced thermotherapy is a true minimally invasive procedure for treating liver metastases. Presently, it is not possible to make a final assessment on the prognostic value of laser-induced thermotherapy in the treatment of liver tumors. However, recently published data justify the scheduling of a randomized study comparing laser-induced thermotherapy with standard surgical liver resection. In this article, thermobiological and technical principles as well as the different types of application modes for this method are described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Institute for Medical, Technical, Physics and Laser Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Germer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roggan
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Buhr
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*