title: Modified radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Radiofrequency ablation is commonly used for the treatment of early hepatocellular carcinoma. However, it requires time to ablate sufficient areas, resulting in increased burden for the patients and operators. We introduce a novel and simple method to overcome this problem.
  
  
  METHODS
  We placed the grounding pad on the back (Back group) instead of the thigh of the patient (Thigh group). To assess the effect of this method, we randomly assigned the patients into two groups, based on the location of the grounding pad, and compared the outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ablation time until two roll-offs was shorter in the Back group than in the Thigh group (median, 2.5 min vs 3.4 min; P = 0.01). The ablated area was larger in the Back group than that in the Thigh group (P = 0.01) and pain was less in the Back group (P = 0.02). No severe side-effects were observed in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This new method is useful in that it achieved shorter ablation times, expansion of the ablated areas, and reduction of pain during the ablation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Okayama City Hospital, Okayama-city, Okayama, Japan. kazunouso@gmail.com.|Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama-city, Okayama, Japan. kazunouso@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nouso
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Okayama City Hospital, Okayama-city, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oonishi
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Okayama City Hospital, Okayama-city, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wakuta
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Okayama City Hospital, Okayama-city, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kariyama
keywords: grounding pad; modification; radiofrequency ablation