Safety and Efficacy of Microwave Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Setting of Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt

This retrospective analysis reviews five patients with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) who underwent percutaneous microwave ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma between January 2017 and September 2020. Mean tumor diameter was 2.0 cm (range 1.3–2.9 cm), and mean tumor distance from TIPS was 2.3 cm (range 1.5–3.3 cm). There were no major adverse events, and the TIPS patency was 100% post-ablation. The technical success rate was 100%, and the complete response rate was 100%. In this small study, percutaneous microwave ablation appears safe and effective for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with TIPS in the short-term follow-up period.