Glossary / Lexicon

Ablation refers to the removal of cells or tissues, usually through surgical means. Moreover, Ablation is the surgical destruction or removal of tissue, an organ, or a precise region of a particular structure. Ablation may involve surgical cutting (excision); chemical destruction, such as injection of phenol; or the use of high frequency electrical current or radio waves. For example, pallidotomy is a procedure used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease or certain other movement disorders. The procedure involves surgical ablation of part of the internal portion of the globus pallidus (GPi)--i.e., a brain region involved in regulating movement--in an attempt to "rebalance" movement and posture control. Once a wire probe is inserted into and precisely positioned within the GPi, it heats and destroys adjacent tissue through the emission of radio waves. This is usually done in experiments on animals, to determine the function of a particular area. Ablation is also called Lesioning.