KARACHI: Radiologists at the Aga Khan University Hospital successfully treated a benign (non-cancerous) bone tumour using a procedure called the radiofrequency ablation (RFA).
This was the first time in Pakistan that radiologists successfully managed to treat a tumour without invasive surgery.
The procedure was performed on Bilal, 24, in May earlier this year, while follow-up tests confirmed that the patient’s symptoms had completely disappeared. Bilal had been diagnosed with osteoid osteoma, a painful bone tumour which mostly affects young people. “As soon as I found out, I researched about it online and also visited several doctors,” he said.
Bilal discovered that the usual mode of treatment for his ailment in Pakistan was open surgery – associated with a high risk of complications and a longer recovery period. In developed countries, however, the method of choice was RFA – a safer, quicker and minimally-invasive procedure which produced better results compared to the surgery.
At the time, however, no hospital in the country offered the RFA procedure for benign tumours. After extensive research, Bilal approached a radiologist at the AKUH, Dr Basit Salam, who agreed to conduct the procedure.
via Medical advancement: AKUH introduces non-invasive treatment for tumours – The Express Tribune.
Ismailimail 