Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a non-thermal ablation modality that has been shown to be safe and effective in its application to tumors that are close to risky areas. This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of IRE for unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Nine patients from two medical centers in Asia received IRE treatment between June 2015 and July 2017. Before IRE treatment, percutaneous biliary decompressions had been performed on eight patients, and internal stenting had been performed on one patient. All patients tolerated the procedure well without high-grade complications. The ablated tumors had constant size without contrast enhancement for more than three months in eight patients and the level of CA19-9 decreased significantly in all patients. The percutaneous biliary drainage tube was removed from two patients with recanalization of the bile duct. The internal stent in one patient was removed without further stenting. The median overall survival period was 26 months, and the progression-free survival was 18 months. Bile ducts remained narrow in the majority (2/3) of the treated patients. Nevertheless, IRE ablation of unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma involving vital structures is a safe and feasible primary treatment for local tumor control and is effective in prolonging survival.

不可逆电穿孔（IRE）是一种非热消融方式，已被证明可安全有效地应用于接近危险区域的肿瘤。这项研究旨在评估IRE对于不可切除的肝门胆管癌的安全性和有效性。2015年6月至2017年7月，来自亚洲两个医疗中心的9名患者接受了IRE治疗。在IRE治疗之前，对8例患者进行了经皮胆道减压治疗，并对1例患者进行了内支架置入术。所有患者对手术均耐受良好，无严重并发症。在八名患者中，消融的肿瘤在三个月内均具有恒定大小且未增强造影剂，并且所有患者中CA19-9的水平均显着降低。从两名胆管再通的患者中取出经皮胆道引流管。一名患者的内部支架无需进一步支架就可移除。中位总生存期为26个月，无进展生存期为18个月。在大多数（2/3）接受治疗的患者中，胆管仍然狭窄。然而，IRE切除不可切除的肝门胆管癌累及重要结构是局部控制肿瘤的一种安全可行的主要治疗方法，可有效延长生存期。