HIFU stands for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) and is delivered via a transrectal probe using simultaneous ultrasound imaging during anesthesia. The Sonablate technology uses high intensity ultrasound generated by powerful transducers which is then focused to raise the temperature at the focal point to almost 90 degrees. Any tissue at the focal point within the prostate is then destroyed through thermal coagulative necrosis.
Some Key Benefits of HIFU:
- Non Surgical
- Non Radiation
- Outpatient
- Most Precise
- Better Living
Tissue outside the focal point is unharmed. Using enhanced software the focal point is programmed to move so as to create a confluence of heated areas so that all the targeted tissue within the prostate is destroyed through this process of thermal coagulative necrosis. This minimally invasive treatment is performed as an outpatient and on average takes 1 to 4 hours depending upon the size of the prostate.
What is HIFU?
HIFU is a revolutionary outpatient procedure used to treat localized or organ confined prostate cancer.
The hifu treatment is delivered through a specialized probe inserted into the rectum using a process very similar to light being focused onto paper with a magnifying glass. From the probe, a high intensity ultrasonic beam is focused onto the prostate through computer control along with simultaneous ultrasound imaging to identify the prostate.
In this process the prostatic tissue,including the prostate cancer is heated to about 90 degrees Celsius and destroyed. Organs and tissue adjacent to the prostate are unharmed. The destroyed prostatic cancerous tissue is eventually expelled during urination.
Initially,the patient is put to sleep and a needle-trocar suprapubic catheter is inserted into the bladder in the lower abdomen. This form of urinary bladder drainage is preferred and tolerated much better than a catheter through the penis.
The man’s legs are then placed in stirrups and the HIFU probe insert ed into the rectum.
The HIFU procedure is commenced and usually takes 2-3 hours to complete.
After an hour or so in the recovery room, the patient walks out off home.