For some small tumors complete removal might not be necessary. Using extreme heat or cold can destroy/ablate a renal tumor with moderate success. The UCLA Kidney Cancer Program offers cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation to select patients. While many centers perform these procedures under general anesthesia and in the operating room, our team often performs ablation in the outpatient setting, percutaneously (through the skin), and under minimal sedation.
