Our new Interventional Radiologist is already making an impact!
McLAREN LAPEER REGION OFFERS A NEW PROCEDURE FOR KIDNEY TUMOR PATIENTS…CRYOABLATION.
Dr. Carlos Ledezma performed the first interventional renal mass cryoablation this past week at McLaren Lapeer Region. Freezing kidney tumors using a safe minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment is a highly-effective treatment option for patients with kidney tumors.
Interventional cryoablation uses imaging to pinpoint tumors and probes to penetrate the skin to deliver freezing cold directly to a diseased tumor. Most patients go home the same day they receive treatment with minimal limitation on regular activities. With traditional laparoscopic kidney surgery, a patient remains in the hospital for several days and recovery time can be from two to four weeks.
“The procedure appears to be a good option for some patients,” says Dr. Ledezma, interventional radiologist at McLaren Lapeer Region. “It makes their hospital stay and recovery time very short and surgical stress is minimal.
The standard treatment for kidney tumors is surgery. For some patients, surgery is not an option because they are frail due to age or illness or are not able to have surgery because of other factors. If this is the case, cryoablation may be an option.”
Last year, more than 1.3 million new cancers were diagnosed in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 50,000 of these individuals were diagnosed with kidney cancer. But there is hope: More than 200,000 kidney cancer survivors are living in the United States right now. Recent advances in diagnosis, surgical procedures, and treatment options will allow even more patients to live with the disease, continuing to maintain their normal schedules and lifestyles.
“It is extremely important that individuals realize all their treatment options, especially since the incidence of kidney cancer has been steadily increasing,” says Bart Buxton, CEO & President, McLaren Lapeer Region. “I am very proud to have Dr. Ledezma join our staff and bring this state-of-the-art procedure to McLaren Lapeer Region.”