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Radiofrequency Ablation - one energy, three specialties, targeted heat.

A controlled dose of radiofrequency heat, delivered through a needle-thin probe, to switch off an arrhythmia circuit, destroy a small tumour or interrupt a chronic pain signal. Cardiac electrophysiologists, interventional radiologists and pain consultants - the right operator for the right RFA.

See indicative pricing
A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What private radiofrequency ablation costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across our partner cardiac, interventional radiology and pain units.

In short

£8,500–£14,500 per lesion, home the same day or after one night.

Procedure Indicative range
Specialist consultation (EP, IR or pain) £250–£450
Cardiac RFA - SVT (AVNRT, AVRT, flutter) £11,000–£16,000
Cardiac RFA - atrial fibrillation (PVI) £17,000–£26,000
Percutaneous tumour RFA (liver, kidney, lung, per lesion) £8,500–£14,500
Bone RFA (osteoid osteoma or painful metastasis) £6,500–£11,000
Medial branch RFA - lumbar (bilateral, 2–3 levels) £1,900–£3,200
Genicular nerve RFA (per knee) £1,800–£2,900

Prices vary by hospital, by the consultant, by imaging suite and by whether general anaesthetic is used. Cardiac ablations for atrial fibrillation and complex tumour cases sit at the top of the range.

The problem

The right RFA, in the right hands, for the right reason.

RFA is where general referral quietly under-delivers - sent to the wrong specialty, offered without an MDT, or booked without the diagnostic block that predicts whether it will work. We fix all three before you consent.

  • Match the RFA to the specialist

    Cardiac ablation is an electrophysiologist’s job. Tumour ablation belongs with an interventional radiologist. Spinal RFA belongs with a pain consultant. Doing them in the wrong hands is the biggest predictor of a poor result.

  • MDT gate for every cancer case

    Liver, kidney, lung and bone RFA are cancer decisions. Every tumour case goes through a specialist MDT - surgery, oncology, radiology - so RFA is chosen over resection or radiotherapy for the right reasons.

  • Diagnostic block before pain RFA

    Spinal and peripheral nerve RFA only works if the nerve carries the pain. A targeted diagnostic block, done first, is the single best predictor of a good outcome - and we insist on it.

When it helps

When radiofrequency ablation is the right tool.

The clinical situations we see most across cardiac, tumour and pain RFA - plus the red flag that means RFA is the wrong answer.

  • Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)

    AVNRT, AVRT or focal atrial tachycardia - palpitations proven on ECG or a monitor. RFA is curative in over 95% of cases at a single session.

  • Atrial fibrillation - pulmonary vein isolation

    Symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent AF resistant to rate or rhythm drugs. RFA around the pulmonary veins restores sinus rhythm and cuts stroke and heart failure risk.

  • Small hepatocellular carcinoma

    HCC lesions under 3cm in patients unfit for resection, or as a bridge to transplant. Ablation success rivals surgery at this size.

  • Small renal cell carcinoma (T1a)

    Cortical RCC under 4cm in older or comorbid patients where partial nephrectomy carries too much risk - RFA preserves kidney function.

  • Osteoid osteoma

    A benign but exquisitely painful bone tumour, classically in adolescents. CT-guided RFA gives near-complete pain relief in one 15-minute sitting.

  • Chronic facet joint back or neck pain

    Axial spinal pain confirmed by two positive diagnostic medial-branch blocks. Denervation gives 9–18 months of relief and can be repeated.

  • Painful bone metastasis

    A focal bony deposit - spine, pelvis, long bone - causing pain despite radiotherapy and analgesia. RFA plus cementoplasty controls pain within days.

  • Red flag: wrong candidate

    A tumour larger than the ablation zone, a pain syndrome without a diagnostic block, or an arrhythmia that has never been captured. RFA in the wrong patient wastes a heat treatment and delays the right one.

Procedure options

One energy, delivered through very different probes.

What each RFA involves - the specialty, the setting, the probe and guidance. Barrett’s oesophagus RFA sits on our upper GI page; endovenous RFA and ClariVein on our vein pages; medial-branch neurotomy has a dedicated facet joint page.

  • EP-lab cardiac RFA - SVT

    Femoral vein access, mapping catheters into the right atrium, then a steerable RF catheter delivers 50–60°C to the accessory pathway or slow pathway. Two to three hours, day-case or one night.

  • EP-lab cardiac RFA - atrial fibrillation (PVI)

    Point-by-point or contact-force RF around the pulmonary vein antra to electrically isolate them. General anaesthetic, transseptal puncture, three to five hours, one night in hospital.

  • Percutaneous liver RFA

    Ultrasound or CT-guided probe into HCC or colorectal metastasis under sedation or GA. 90–100°C for 8–12 minutes creates a 3–5cm ablation zone with a safety margin around the lesion.

  • Percutaneous renal RFA

    CT-guided probe into cortical T1a tumours, typically with hydrodissection to protect bowel. Preserves overall renal function versus partial nephrectomy in the frail.

  • Percutaneous lung RFA

    CT-guided ablation for early NSCLC or oligometastatic disease in patients unfit for surgery or radiotherapy. Pneumothorax is the commonest complication and a chest drain kit is on standby.

  • Bone RFA (osteoid osteoma and metastases)

    CT-guided probe through a coaxial needle. For osteoid osteoma, a single 6-minute cycle at 90°C is curative. For painful metastases, RFA is often combined with cementoplasty for structural support.

  • Medial branch RFA (facet joint denervation)

    Fluoroscopy-guided lesioning of the medial branches supplying the facet joints, after a positive diagnostic block. Detailed on our dedicated facet joint denervation page.

  • Cooled RFA (sacroiliac joint, genicular nerves)

    A water-cooled probe creates a larger, more spherical lesion - useful for sacroiliac joint pain and for the genicular nerves in advanced knee osteoarthritis.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

RFA is a well-established interventional treatment. The specific risks depend on which application you are having, and the whole pathway is designed around anticipating and containing them.

  • A licensed suite, and a matched anaesthetic plan

    Cardiac RFA in an EP lab, tumour RFA in interventional radiology, spinal RFA in a fluoroscopy suite. Cardiac AF and most tumour cases use general anaesthetic; SVT and spinal RFA use sedation or local.

  • Cardiac RFA - tamponade, groin, vein injury

    Cardiac tamponade in around 1% of AF ablations, groin haematoma in 1–2%, pulmonary vein stenosis and phrenic nerve palsy in under 1%. Rare oesophageal injury is why temperature monitoring is standard.

  • Liver and kidney RFA - bleeding and thermal spread

    Bleeding, biliary injury and post-ablation abscess each under 3%. Thermal damage to nearby bowel or diaphragm is minimised with hydrodissection and careful probe placement.

  • Lung RFA - pneumothorax

    Pneumothorax in 20–30% of lung ablations, though most resolve without a drain. Haemoptysis and pleural effusion are uncommon and self-limiting.

  • Post-ablation syndrome

    A short flu-like reaction - low-grade fever, malaise, mild pain - is expected after tumour and bone RFA and typically settles inside a week with simple analgesia.

  • Spinal RFA - burning, weakness, block failure

    A short burst of neuritic burning at the treatment site is common and settles in days. Motor weakness is very rare when the guidance is correct. The other risk is honest: sometimes the block does not last.

  • Radiation and contrast

    Fluoroscopy and CT deliver a controlled radiation dose - meaningful but not high. Contrast is used where kidney function allows; alternatives exist for allergy or renal impairment.

  • Anticoagulants and antiplatelets

    Every plan is bespoke. Cardiac ablation is done on or off anticoagulation to a strict protocol; tumour and spinal RFA usually need warfarin or DOAC bridging and a defined restart date.

  • Red flags after any RFA

    Fever above 38.5°C after 48 hours, spreading pain, breathlessness, calf swelling, palpitations that do not settle, or a new neurological deficit - call the same-day team or A&E, not the routine line.

Reading your procedure note

Your procedure note in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whichever RFA you had - cardiac, tumour, spinal or peripheral - the note the consultant sends you keeps to the same shape.

A UK consultant reviewing a patient’s post-ablation imaging

A quiet reminder

Procedural language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.

If you would like us to talk you through the procedure note and any post-ablation imaging before your review, just ask.

  1. 01 Header

    Indication, target and approach

    What was being treated (arrhythmia circuit, tumour, nerve), the intended target and margin, and whether the probe was placed via vein, CT, ultrasound or fluoroscopy.

  2. 02 Technique

    Energy, temperature and time

    The RF settings used - power in watts, temperature reached (typically 60°C cardiac, 90–100°C tumour), duration, and any cooling, hydrodissection or safety margin captured on imaging.

  3. 03 Findings

    Endpoint reached

    For cardiac: bidirectional block, pulmonary vein isolation, non-inducibility on stimulation. For tumour: complete ablation zone on immediate post-procedure imaging. For pain: sensory endpoint on stimulation.

  4. 04 Impression

    Follow-up, medications and next imaging

    Read this first: rhythm monitoring or surveillance CT schedule, anticoagulation restart, analgesia plan and the date of the next review.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

RFA is usually covered when medically indicated - including cardiac ablation for symptomatic arrhythmias, tumour ablation approved by MDT, and spinal RFA after a positive diagnostic block.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about radiofrequency ablation.

Quick answers on the physics, the applications, success rates, alternatives and cost.

  • What actually is radiofrequency ablation?

    RFA passes a high-frequency alternating current - typically 300–500 kHz - through an insulated probe tip. That current agitates ions in the surrounding tissue, generates frictional heat, and produces controlled coagulation necrosis once the local temperature passes about 60°C. The same physics is used to destroy an arrhythmia circuit in the heart, a small tumour, or the sensory nerve carrying spinal pain - only the probe design, guidance system and operator differ.

  • Is RFA better than surgery for small tumours?

    For hepatocellular carcinoma under 3cm, colorectal liver metastases in unfit patients, small T1a renal tumours and early stage NSCLC in patients who cannot have surgery, published survival is comparable to resection. For larger tumours, or where clear margins matter for staging, surgery is usually the right first choice. The MDT weighs that up for every case - the honest answer is not always RFA.

  • How successful is cardiac ablation?

    For AVNRT and typical atrial flutter, RFA is curative in around 95–98% of patients at a single procedure. For paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, freedom from AF at one year is 70–80% after a single ablation and rises with a second procedure. Persistent AF and long-standing AF have lower success and often need two sittings.

  • Why do I need a diagnostic block before spinal RFA?

    Because the whole point of RFA is to destroy the nerve carrying the pain. If a targeted anaesthetic block of that nerve does not switch the pain off temporarily, the ablation will not work either. Two positive blocks are the accepted standard before medial branch RFA is offered - it is the single best predictor of a good result.

  • How long does the pain relief from spinal RFA last?

    Typically 9–18 months, sometimes longer. The nerves do regrow, and the pain often returns gradually rather than suddenly. RFA can be repeated as many times as it works - most patients settle into a rhythm of a repeat every 12–24 months.

  • How much does private RFA cost in the UK?

    Roughly £11,000–£16,000 for SVT ablation, £17,000–£26,000 for AF ablation, £8,500–£14,500 for tumour RFA per lesion, £6,500–£11,000 for bone RFA, and £1,800–£3,200 for spinal or genicular RFA. Prices vary by hospital, imaging suite and whether general anaesthetic is used.

  • Are there other RFA treatments not covered on this page?

    Yes. Barrett’s oesophagus RFA - used to treat dysplastic Barrett’s during endoscopy - sits with our upper GI page. Endovenous RFA and EVLA for varicose veins are covered on our vein pages, alongside ClariVein. Facet joint medial-branch neurotomy has its own detailed page. This overview exists so you can compare uses and decide which one applies before drilling into a specialist page.

  • How is RFA different from cryoablation and microwave ablation?

    RFA delivers heat via alternating current; microwave uses electromagnetic waves to create larger, faster ablations less affected by nearby blood flow; cryoablation freezes tissue and lets you visualise the ice-ball on CT. Choice depends on tumour location, size and proximity to critical structures. For pulmonary vein isolation, cryoballoon is a genuine alternative to RF and we discuss both.

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