Treating Malignancy Part 2

Part 2. Cryoablation

So, where was I? 

My tumour had been biopsied, and I was waiting for a call...

It came quickly enough, and the doctor told us there was good news! :)

Firstly, as expected, it was not too aggressive. (I am very lucky to get scans almost every year (total body MRIs) so they can quickly determine if there is a change. Everyone with Ollier’s should have this option!)

Secondly, they had found a different way to treat the tumour!

Initially, the plan was to cut out a centre section of the pelvis. For my surgeon, this would have been a doable procedure (he's great). He had told me to expect having limited mobility and crutches for a couple of months. Likely, it would have been quite painful and there would probably have been some lasting issues. So, I was a little apprehensive but then...

 
He explained that he had discussed my specific situation with the tumour board at the CHUV, and they had decided they could carry out cryoablation instead. They would simply inject needles into the tumour to freeze it away! For a simple overview, check out the wiki page: Cryoablation - Wikipedia 

How exciting! 

I met the fantastic interventional radiology team shortly after our call. 

The lead surgeon, an amazing, strong-willed woman, said that this procedure is typically used for kidney and prostate cancer, but that orthopaedic surgeons have typically been less receptive to exploring this option. She stated that because my doctor is open-minded and compassionate, he has consistently been more willing to explore alternative procedures. I am very grateful to him for his personality!

Having seen my scans, she was confident the tumour could be dealt with quickly and efficiently. She explained that it would require two 45-minute cooling sessions. I would be treated (and ultimately cured) in under 2 hours!

I could not say YES PLEASE fast enough! They scheduled me within 4 weeks (based on the staging of the tumour, I was not an urgent case). 

Then, the time came. The step-by-step:

1) Check in with husband at 11am the day before. Due to covid restrictions, he had to leave shortly after. The children were at school, having a normal day 😊. I had nothing to do besides take a covid test (ugh for my nostril), eat lunch, and then go for a walk. I watched a boatload of Netflix.

 
2) Not allowed to eat dinner the night before. Oh well - more Netflix.

 
3) In the morning, no breakfast, then I had to take a shower with antiseptic soap as per usual for any surgery and wait in bed. I took Xanax in case of last-minute panics an hour before.

 
4) Was wheeled down at about 10 am. What a theatre! Huge TV screens, tanks with cooling gases, and scanning equipment. Very impressive! 

 
5) They had to put me to sleep, and I had my last-minute panic as expected. They let me hold the mask on my face which eliminated my worry, and then I was out.

 
6) I woke up about 2 hours later in a recovery room. I seem to recall a slight ache at the site of the needle injections. Took a bit of acetaminophen and then a nap.

 
7) Back to my room less than 3 hours later and one of the team came in to tell me all had gone well and that it appeared I was cured. I had to rest flat on my back for 4 hours – no problem. I was tired anyway! 

 
8) After that, I was able to get up and walk around UNAIDED. Ate dinner at the usual time, slept the night, and then left the hospital in the morning. 

 
It will never cease to amaze me that I walked out to the parking lot on my own two feet, as though nothing had happened. Incredible! 

 
In terms of recovery:

 
1) There were no major wounds to clean: just some tiny injection sites on my lower back. My husband took a photo for me – they were almost impossible to see!

2) There was next to no pain. That is another benefit of cryoablation. It doesn’t hurt! It is a little sore where the needles go in, but it is trivial. I promise! 

3) Took it easy for a week, just in case.

 
A follow-up took place 6 weeks later (the same day our basement flooded – that was stressful! My life is great, but always a bit of a circus :D) and it was all clear. 

This was all in 2021, and I have been fine since. 

 
Thankful to the team at the CHUV always. They are motivated, innovative, sensible, and compassionate people. I am very lucky to be a patient there. 

xMJ

Note:

I learned recently that some surgeons do cryoablation for bone tumours after first opening to access the bone. This was not the case for me. They used needles exclusively. This makes recovery faster with less risk of infection. Clearly, this is not always possible