A system and method for performing a radiofrequency (RF) ablation procedure with a cooled RF probe includes measuring one or more local perfusion characteristics at an ablation site within a patient. The method also includes determining a heat transfer due to local perfusion at the ablation site based on the one or more local perfusion characteristics. Further, the method includes determining an operating threshold for the cooled RF probe based, at least in part, on the heat transfer. Moreover, the method includes controlling the cooled RF probe based on the operating threshold to create a lesion at the ablation site within the patient.
