Good outcomes with low-energy direct current prostate ablation

摘要

A new canine study has demonstrated excellent results in terms of postoperative erectile function and nerve preservation using the experimental technique of low-energy direct current (LEDC) focal ablation. "Most ablative technologies that have been studied so far rely on thermal energy, including cryoablation and high-intensity focused ultrasonography (HIFU)," explains investigator Matvey Tsivian at the Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. By contrast, LEDC involves the delivery of pulses of electric current into the tissue, a process that creates pores in cell membranes. This electroporation results in cell death without concomitant extreme changes in temperature associated with other ablative techniques.