changed study design to retrospective study, since the study intervention is already in routine clinical practice

The goal of this study is to assess the physician and patient experience of radio frequency (RF) track cautery in patients undergoing needle biopsy of the liver, kidney, or spleen who have one or more risk factors for biopsy-related bleeding. RF track cautery involves inserting a bipolar electrode through the same introducer needle used for the biopsy, and heating the tissues along the path of the biopsy needle to prevent bleeding. This study primarily aims to assess the operator and patient experience during the use of track cautery. Secondary aims are to assess the technical success rate and procedure adverse events. Participants who enroll in the study will undergo track cautery as part of their clinically indicated liver, kidney, or spleen biopsy. After the procedure, they will fill out a brief survey asking about their experience during the procedure. Physician operators who perform track cautery as part of the study will also fill out a survey after each procedure asking about their experience using this technique.

Percutaneous biopsies of abdominal organs (liver, kidney, spleen) are commonly performed procedures and, while generally considered safe, have a small risk of post-biopsy hemorrhage. Bleeding risks of percutaneous biopsy are known to be higher for solid abdominal organs including liver, kidney and spleen, than for abdominal biopsies not involving these organs (for example, peritoneal masses or lymph nodes) Some patients also exhibit an increase in bleeding risk due to alterations in coagulation parameters or platelet number and function, which are known to increase rates of post-biopsy hemorrhage. Existing corrective measures for bleeding diathesis such as blood product transfusions are costly and confer additional risks, and do not address the mechanical tissue and vessel injury that sometimes underlies post-biopsy bleeding. Injection of gelatin sponge or other materials into the biopsy track via the introducer needle, while commonly used, can be cumbersome and imprecise, and has not yet clearly demonstrated a benefit in reducing post-biopsy bleeding in human studies.

High-frequency RF cautery, a technique ubiquitous in modern surgical practice, is routinely used for intraoperative hemostasis. This technique is also routinely used during image-guided percutaneous thermal ablation procedures, where the needle track created by the ablation probe is cauterized during probe retraction. An FDA-cleared bipolar RF cautery device that fits through a 17G biopsy introducer needle is now in clinical use, for the purpose of minimizing bleeding during percutaneous image-guided procedures. This study aims to prospectively study the physician and patient experience of using RF track cautery in patients undergoing percutaneous liver, kidney, or spleen biopsy procedures.

Primary aims of the study are:

• Determine how the use of radiofrequency (RF) track cautery during percutaneous solid organ biopsy affects operator experience.
• Determine how the use of radiofrequency (RF) track cautery during percutaneous solid organ biopsy affects patient experience.

Secondary aims of the study are:

• Determine the technical success rate of RF track cautery during percutaneous solid organ biopsy, defined by successful deployment of the cautery electrode through the biopsy introducer needle and application of radiofrequency current to the biopsy track.
• Monitor adverse events, such as bleeding, during and after biopsy procedures in which RF track cautery is used.

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients referred to interventional radiology for clinically indicated liver, kidney, or spleen biopsy for diffuse or focal disease, who also have one or more of the following risk factors for bleeding:

• Coagulopathy (INR ≥ 1.5) or thrombocytopenia (platelets < 50) before correction
• Renal disease with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 30 ml/min
• Liver cirrhosis
• Anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications where periprocedural withholding poses
• Competing medical risk, or the urgency of the procedure precludes holding the anticoagulant medications for the standard interval (departmental guidelines).
• Any splenic biopsy
• Hypervascular masses in the liver or kidney
• Renal and liver parenchymal biopsies, which are known to carry a higher risk of bleeding.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Uncorrectable coagulopathy (INR remaining ≥ 2.5) or thrombocytopenia (platelets remaining < 25)
• Pregnancy
• Patients who are not competent to provide their own consent