There are numerous treatments for prostate cancer and each has its own benefits and drawbacks. Patients and their prostate specialist must weigh many factors when determining the best treatment option. Age, Gleason score (measure of aggressiveness), PSA, lifestyle and quality of life issues all play a very important part in the equation of finding the optimal treatment.
HIFU treatment, which is short for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, is a state-of-the-art technology acoustic ablation technique that utilizes the power of ultrasound to destroy deep-seated tissue with pinpoint accuracy for treatment of prostate cancer. HIFU treatment focuses sound waves in a targeted area which rapidly increases the temperature in the focal zone causing tissue destruction.
The control and precision of HIFU treatment reduces the risk of common side effects such as impotence and incontinence.
HIFU treatment is a 1-3 hour, one-time procedure preformed on an out-patient basis under spinal or epidural anesthesia. Unlike radiation, HIFU treatment is non-ionizing so it can be repeated if necessary without damaging healthy tissue. This means that the HIFU treatment can also be used as a salvage technique if other prostate cancer treatments fail.
HIFU Treatment Information
An overview of what patients may expect during each phase of HIFU treatment - should you have any specific questions regarding treatment, please visit www.hifucare.com.
Before HIFU Treatment
The night before your HIFU procedure, you will be given two enemas that are administered 2 hours prior to the procedure. It is very important that you do not move during the HIFU procedure, therefore, after arriving at the treatment facility, you will be given an epidural (spinal) anesthesia that will numb you from the waist down. You will also be given light intravenous sedation.
During HIFU Treatment
The patient experiences no pain during HIFU treatment. A small probe that emits ultrasound waves directly to the prostatic tissue is inserted into the rectum. First, the prostate specialist captures real-time images of the prostate and the surrounding area. Treatment time varies depending on the size of the prostate, but generally lasts one to three hours. You may experience swelling in the abdomen as a result of the destruction of tissue, therefore a catheter is inserted and is typically worn for 2-3 weeks to make sure that the bladder can empty properly as your body heals. Most patients are able to resume a normal diet and lifestyle almost immediately. No hospital stay is required and the HIFU procedure involves no incision and no scalpel.
After HIFU Treatment
Immediately after the HIFU treatment there is a one to two hour recovery period at the treatment facility and then you are discharged to recover comfortably at your hotel. Your prostate specialist will prescribe some antibiotics and other medications for after the HIFU treatment, but most people don’t experience any pain after the procedure. You may experience some discomfort or body aches which is normal and temporary. Additionally, in the first one to two weeks after your HIFU treatment, you may experience very mild urinary symptoms such as frequency and/or urgency to void (the compelling urge to urinate, along with discomfort in your bladder), which are also normal and temporary.
How does HIFU work?
In order to understand the basic concept of how HIFU treatment works an analogy can be drawn between HIFU ablating the prostate and sunrays entering a magnifying glass to burn a leaf. When a magnifying glass is held above a leaf in the correct position on a sunny day the sunrays intersect below the lens and cause the leaf to burn at the point of intersection.
If you insert your hand into the path of either one of the sun rays individually, away from the point of intersection, there is no significant heat felt or harm caused. Alternatively, if you place your hand at the point of intersection you will be burned.
The scientific principles at work in this example are the same as those with the HIFU treatment. Instead of light as the energy source, HIFU treatment utilizes sound. Instead of a magnifying glass HIFU treatment uses a transducer. Just as the individual sunray is harmless to the hand, the individual sound waves are harmless to the healthy tissue it travels through.
During HIFU treatment, the prostate specialist uses continuously updated real-time images of the prostate to map out and execute the entire treatment plan. These images show treatment progression and permit the prostate specialist to customize treatment for maximum safety and effectiveness.
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