title: Microwave ablation with a single small-gauge triaxial antenna: in vivo porcine liver model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the performance of a 17-gauge triaxial antenna at microwave ablation in an in vivo porcine liver model.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was approved by the institutional animal care and use committee. Thirteen female domestic pigs (mean weight, 45 kg) were used. Ablations were performed with a prototype microwave ablation system and triaxial antenna by using a constant, continuous-wave power of 68 W for 2 (n = 6), 3 (n = 6), 4 (n = 6), 5 (n = 6), 6 (n = 6), 7 (n = 13), 10 (n = 7), and 12 (n = 8) minutes. Animals were euthanized after ablation, livers were removed, and ablation zones were sliced and measured for size and roundness. A mixed linear model with animals modeled as random effects was used to test for significant differences in ablation zone metrics among time groups; post hoc tests were used to detect significant differences between time groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean ablation zone diameters ranged from 2.05 cm +/- 0.23 (standard deviation) at 2 minutes to 2.59 cm +/- 0.53 at 12 minutes. Thirteen (32%) of 40 ablation zones with mean maximum diameters greater than 3.0 cm were observed at the 5-12-minute time groups. No significant differences in ablation zone diameter were observed among all groups (P > .05), but a trend of increasing diameter with time was noted. Mean isoperimetric ratio (a measure of roundness) for all ablation zones was 0.88 +/- 0.02, which indicates minimal heat sinking near vessels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The triaxial microwave ablation system is capable of creating relatively large, circular zones of ablation in minutes with minimal effects from local blood flow.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53792, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Brace
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Laeseke
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sampson
authors.forename: Tina M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: van der Weide
authors.forename: Fred T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D008872:Microwaves / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023421:Models, Animal; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors