Cryoablation · Los Angeles

Freeze selected kidney tumors with image guidance.

Focused cold, planned around the tumor and healthy kidney.

EVSLA reviews the diagnosis, actual CT or MRI, tumor size and location, nearby anatomy, kidney function, biopsy needs, surgical options, and the wider care plan to determine whether cryoablation may fit.

Request a Kidney Tumor Evaluation See If Cryoablation May Fit

Cryoablation is for selected kidney tumors and patients. An evaluation does not guarantee candidacy, complete tumor destruction, kidney preservation, response, or a specific outcome.

  • Image guided
  • Controlled freezing
  • Care coordinated
Medical imaging used for kidney tumor treatment planning
Start with the scanCan the ice zone cover the tumor safely?Size, location, access path, and nearby bowel, ureter, vessels, and healthy kidney tissue all matter.
Protect healthy kidney tissueThe local treatment plan should support the broader kidney-cancer strategy.
Cold delivered at the tumor

Thin cryoprobes are positioned under imaging guidance.

The ice zone is monitored

Imaging helps the physician assess target coverage.

Kidney care stays connected

Ablation is evaluated within the full urology and cancer plan.

Could kidney cryoablation fit your plan?

The conversation begins with what the mass is likely to be, whether it needs treatment now, and which option best protects the whole kidney-care plan.

The diagnosis and treatment goal are clear

A biopsy may help in some cases. The team also considers whether surveillance, surgery, radiation, or another approach is more appropriate.

The tumor is limited and reachable

Size, location, visibility on imaging, and a safe route for one or more cryoprobes shape eligibility.

A safe ice margin can be planned

The specialist reviews the bowel, ureter, collecting system, vessels, nerves, and healthy kidney tissue around the target.

Kidney health supports the plan

Renal function, the other kidney, prior surgery, bleeding risk, overall health, and personal priorities all matter.

How cryoablation treats a selected kidney tumor

Imaging guides the physician to the tumor and helps monitor a controlled ice zone. The exact approach is individualized to the anatomy and treatment goal.

1

Plan a safe path

CT, ultrasound, or other imaging helps locate the tumor, map nearby anatomy, and choose a route for the cryoprobes.

2

Position the cryoprobes

One or more thin probes are guided through small skin punctures and into the selected tumor under real-time imaging.

3

Create the ice zone

Extreme cold freezes the targeted tissue. Imaging helps the specialist monitor the treatment zone and its relationship to nearby structures.

Cryoablation is a local treatment—not treatment for cancer everywhere in the body. The tumor is treated in place rather than surgically removed, and follow-up imaging is needed to assess the ablation zone and watch for remaining or returning disease.

One focused procedure. A kidney-wide plan.

Anesthesia, procedure time, observation, recovery, and follow-up vary with tumor location, complexity, kidney function, health, and the approach used.

01

Consultation and planning

The team reviews imaging, diagnosis, kidney function, medications, bleeding risk, prior care, and the role cryoablation would play.

02

Image-guided freezing

The physician positions the cryoprobes, creates the planned ice zone, and monitors the target and surrounding anatomy.

03

Recovery and follow-up imaging

Your care team gives individualized activity and symptom instructions, then uses CT or MRI and clinical follow-up to assess the treated area.

Kidney tumor ablation, led by image-guided specialists

Your specialist reviews the tumor, probe path, nearby anatomy, kidney function, surgical options, and treatment goal before recommending cryoablation or another next step.

Board-certified specialists
CT- and ultrasound-guided planning
Care coordinated with urology
Three Los Angeles-area clinics
Harout Dermendjian, MD

Harout Dermendjian, MD

Board-Certified Vascular & Interventional Radiologist

Specialty training in oncology and other image-guided treatments, with a direct approach to complex decisions.

Meet Dr. Dermendjian →
Kartik Kansagra, MD

Kartik Kansagra, MD

Board-Certified Vascular & Interventional Radiologist

Clear communication and collaborative planning for complex vascular and minimally invasive care.

Meet Dr. Kansagra →
Sipan Mathevosian, MD

Sipan Mathevosian, MD

Board-Certified Interventional & Diagnostic Radiologist

Interventional oncology experience supporting careful planning for selected tumor ablation cases.

Meet Dr. Mathevosian →

You do not need to choose a physician before requesting care. EVSLA will route the case based on the clinical question, records, and availability.

Start your evaluation close to home

Choose the clinic most convenient for your evaluation. Procedure location and availability depend on the treatment and clinical need, and the scheduling team will confirm the appropriate site.

La Cañada Flintridge

1407 Foothill Boulevard
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011

Clinic details →

What patients ask about kidney cryoablation

Clear answers about candidacy, treatment, surgery, biopsy, risks, recovery, and follow-up.

What is kidney cryoablation?

Kidney cryoablation is an image-guided local treatment. A specialist places one or more thin cryoprobes into a selected kidney tumor and uses extreme cold to create a controlled ice zone intended to destroy the targeted tissue.

Who may be considered for kidney cryoablation?

Cryoablation may be considered for selected patients with a localized kidney tumor that can be safely reached and covered by a planned ice zone. The decision also depends on diagnosis, tumor size and location, kidney function, nearby anatomy, surgical options, overall health, and treatment goals.

How is cryoablation different from partial nephrectomy?

Partial nephrectomy surgically removes the tumor and a margin while preserving the remaining kidney. Percutaneous cryoablation reaches the tumor through small skin punctures and destroys targeted tissue in place. Surgery remains the standard treatment for many localized kidney cancers, while ablation may fit selected patients and tumors.

Is a biopsy needed before kidney cryoablation?

A renal-mass biopsy may help confirm the diagnosis and guide treatment, but whether and when it is needed depends on the imaging, clinical situation, and care plan. The treating team should explain the role and timing of biopsy for the individual case.

What are the risks and recovery after kidney cryoablation?

Pain, bruising, fatigue, nausea, fever, or urinary changes can occur. Other risks include bleeding, infection, medication or anesthesia reactions, injury to the kidney or nearby structures, reduced kidney function, incomplete treatment, and tumor recurrence. Some procedures are outpatient while others require overnight observation; discharge timing, activity limits, and recovery vary.

How do doctors know whether cryoablation worked?

Follow-up CT or MRI and clinical review are used to assess the ablation zone and look for remaining or returning tumor. The timing and type of follow-up depend on the diagnosis, kidney function, treatment details, and the wider cancer-care plan.

We can help review the next step.

Share your current kidney imaging, diagnosis or biopsy information, recent renal-function labs, and urology plan. EVSLA can review the full picture and explain whether cryoablation—or another option—makes sense to discuss.

Request a Kidney Tumor EvaluationCall (818) 626–3710A request does not confirm candidacy, treatment, coverage, or outcome.