Hospital Ruber Internacional implements non-surgical pancreatic tumor treatment

Hospital Ruber Internacional has successfully performed a minimally invasive procedure to treat insulinomas, which are neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors that cause excessive insulin production and repeated hypoglycemia.

The technique involves radiofrequency ablation guided by echoendoscopy. This method allows medical teams to access the lesion through the stomach or duodenum, using ultrasound visualization to guide a needle directly into the tumor. Thermal energy is then used to destroy the tumor cells, eliminating the need for traditional pancreatic surgery.

The procedure was led by Dr. José Miguel Esteban, head of the Endoscopy Unit, following a multidisciplinary diagnostic effort by endocrinologists Dr. Juan Carlos Percovich and Dr. Helena Urriza. The treatment was applied to a patient experiencing unexplained episodes of low blood sugar, which were traced back to the insulin-producing lesion.