Harold Abella

It's quick, safe, and relatively painless, and if interventional radiologists want to own it, they'd better step up quickly: Endovenous laser treatment of varicose veins is poised to take off, according to researchers at Cornell University. A two-year follow-up of 97 treated limbs showed a 6% recurrence rate, compared with 10% or higher recurrence that was reported for surgery, radio-frequency ablation, and transcatheter sclerotherapy.

Minimally invasive techniques for treatment of varicose veins show good long-term success rates, according to studies presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology meeting in Salt Lake City.

After four decades of experimenting with alternatives to surgical resection of tumors, researchers worldwide agree on several points: There is no silver bullet, but CT-guided radio-frequency ablation stands out among minimally-invasive therapies.

It's quick, safe, and relatively painless, and if interventional radiologists want to own it, they'd better step up quickly: Endovenous laser treatment of varicose veins is poised to take off, according to Cornell University researchers. A two-year follow-up of 97 treated limbs showed a 6% recurrence rate, compared with 10% or higher recurrence reported for surgery, radio-frequency ablation, and transcatheter sclerotherapy.

Radio-frequency ablation has evolved from a mere palliative measure to standard procedure for treating unresectable liver tumors. Research presented at the 2001 RSNA meeting suggests it eventually may replace surgery altogether.

Patients treated with radio-frequency ablation in conjunction with chemotherapy show significantly better survival rates than those receiving chemotherapy alone, according to a report presented at the RSNA meeting on Friday.