Abstract
Microwave ablation (MWA) is a percutaneous ablation that induces thermal necrosis by generating localized high-temperature regions within tumor tissue. However, when a tumor is located close to a large vessel such as the aorta, blood flow continuously removes heat from the ablation zone. This phenomenon causes the vascular heatsink effect and thereby increases the risk of incomplete ablation. This study constructs an ANSYS-based numerical framework to investigate the heat-sink effect during MWA of tumors located close to the aorta. The computational model consists of the tumor, surrounding tissue, vessel wall, blood flow domain, and microwave antenna. Microwave-induced heating was represented by an equivalent heat source mapped from the High-Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS)-derived volume loss density, rather than by direct electromagnetic-thermal coupling within the thermal-fluid solver. Two parametric studies were performed to quantify the heat-sink effect. First, the tumor–aorta distance was varied at D= 0 mm,4 mm, and8.5 mmto assess how vessel proximity affects temperature elevation and ablation zone formation. Second, at each tumor-aorta distance, three blood-flow conditions were compared: no blood, stagnant blood (V= 0m/s), and normal aortic blood flow (V= 0.65m/s). This comparison enabled the heat-sink effect of blood flow to be independently evaluated. The results highlight the clinical need for simulation-based treatment planning in patients with tumors located close to major vessels.
Links to Paper and Supplementary Materials
Main Paper (Open Access Version): https://papers.miccai.org/miccai-2026-sat/paper/DT4H_036.pdf
SharedIt Link: Not yet available
SpringerLink (DOI): Not yet available
Supplementary Material: Not Submitted
Link to Open Review
Open Review Page: https://openreview.net/forum?id=gvtWo3wHyZ
BibTex
@InProceedings{KimYou_3D_MICCAISAT2026,
author = { Kim, Youjin AND Yoon, Kyungho AND Shin, Minwoo},
title = { { 3D Computational Modeling of the Vascular Heat-Sink Effect in Microwave Ablation of Tumors Close to the Aorta } },
booktitle = {Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention -- MICCAI 2026 Workshops and Challenges},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Springer Nature Switzerland},
volume = {LNCS 17275},
month = {pending},
page = {pending}
}