HIFU

Appointment phone number:
(383) 213-06-36 from 8:00 to 20:00, (383) 309-00-00 (additional 1) around the clock.

HIFU means a focused ultrasound of a high-intensity ore focused ultrasound surgery (FUS).

HIFU is a modern non-invasive treatment method of a significant number of pathological neoplasms. The HIFU uses an ultrasonic sensor of high energy, which similar to those used for diagnostic imaging. The transducer generates heat at one point and the target tissues are destroying by focuses sound waves. The tissue may be heat up to 100°C in just 2-3 seconds. For destroying the target tissue this process is repeated as many times as necessary.

Indications for treatment

Currently, we treat patients with the following diseases:

1. Uterine endometriosis, fibroids, adenomyosis.
2. Benign and malignant neoplasms:
• prostatic hyperplasia;
• neoplasms of internal organs (mammary glands, adrenal glands, pancreas, liver, lymph nodes, kidneys, bones and soft tissues, spleen);
• non-organ (mesenteric) neoplasms.

HIFU procedure

The method is based on the use of special equipment, the peculiarity of which is the focused effect of ultrasound on a specific lesion.

The complete immobility of the patient is especially important for the successful implementation of HIFU therapy, which allows the device to act on the affected tissue, while preserving the healthy part of the organ as much as possible. The patient's immobility is achieved by using light sedation, for which not general anesthesia is used, but a special type of sedation that allows the patient to be conscious and calmly doze, but not move.

Before performing the USgFUS procedure, several studies are required to make sure that the patient will receive the effect of treatment and there are no risk factors that would be a contraindication to performing the procedure.

Precision of research vary depending on the patient's condition and the area of treatment: abdominal and retroperitoneal organs, bones - MSCT with contrast enhancement; pelvic organs - MRI. We recommend conducting preliminary studies in our clinic.

The duration of the procedure lasts at least 3 hours depending on which condition is being treated.

For example, the patient lies on her stomach in the treatment of fibroids. Light sedation and painkillers are used to decrease discomfort and anxiety during the procedure, but patients remain conscious and can communicate throughout the treatment. The individual pulses of focused ultrasonic energy are fed through the skin by a transducer.

Benefits of HIFU Therapy

• Complete non-invasiveness, because of no punctures of tissues and incisions.
• Without ionizing radiation.
• Impact accuracy.
• Short recovery period.
• High safety of the method compared to surgical intervention.
• Extremely rare and mild side effects.

HIFU is aimed at the complete destruction of the tumor or taking control of its growth, as well as the removal of symptoms associated with the development of a neoplasm.

HIFU can be recommended for patients in whom traditional surgical treatment cannot be used.

Advantages of focused ultrasound for tumor destruction

The Focused ultrasound surgery have several attractive features compared to other non-invasive or minimally invasive methods of tumor ablation, such as targeted radiation therapy, radiofrequency ablation, vascular embolization and cryotherapy. These advantages include: 

1. The passage of ultrasonic energy through an intermediate tissue does not have a cumulative effect on this tissue or tissue outside of focus unlike radiation therapy. Focused ultrasound treatment is extremely accurate, with the boundary zone between necrotic treated and viable untreated tissue being less than 0.1 mm. Accordingly, FUZ is easy to repeat, unlike radiation therapy, in which tissue toxicity makes repeated treatment problematic.
2. HIFU performs deep precise tissue necrosis using an external applicator, without the need to insert the instrument into the target tissue or arterial system. That is, the procedure is completely non-surgical and non-invasive, so there is no risk of bleeding or infection.
3. Patients with painful bone metastases who received FUZ on an outpatient basis can also return home within a few hours after the procedure, receiving significant pain relief within a few days and may soon after reduce the use of analgesics. For the treatment of the prostate gland, the procedure will be performed in a day hospital. The patient will be able to return to normal activity in a couple of days.
4. Coagulation necrosis is much less painful than ischemic necrosis caused by transarterial embolization. These benefits are not just theoretical; FUZ ablation has been shown to provide symptom relief faster than other procedures for ablation of fibroids and bone lesions.
5. Tissue necrosis caused by the procedure is immediate, and the effectiveness is monitored by the presence of changes in the seroscale image of diagnostic ultrasound online during the procedure.
6. Standard radical therapy of prostate cancer with surgery or radiation is associated with significant complications, including urinary incontinence, fatigue and diarrhea. Although HIFU therapy for prostate cancer remains exploratory and the associated risk of side effects is unknown, the precise targeting used during treatment may help reduce this toxicity. Necrosis of pathological tissue after the use of this technology occurs immediately. The results of exposure can be evaluated immediately after therapy by obtaining an MRI image of the nonperfusion volume of treatment.

• Diseases of the chest organs: lung cancer, metastases in the lungs, pleural mesothelioma, mediastinal tumors.
• Neoplasms of subcutaneous fat closer than 2 cm from the skin.
• Skin neoplasms: melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, papilloma.
• Carcinomatosis of the abdominal cavity.
• Brain tumors and brain metastases.
• Neck tumors.
• Neoplasms of feet and hands.
• Neoplasms of ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix.
• Diseases of the stomach and intestines.