British Fibroid Trust
Woman2Woman Fibroid Support 		BFT NICE UAE Patient Feedback
Home | Volunteering | Sponsorship | Suggest A Link | Website Feedback | Thank You | Testimonials | Site Map
About Us: Our History | Our Team | Our Mission | Our Constitution
Fibroids
What Is Fibroid?
How Is It Diagnosed?
How 2 Cope
Treatment Options Summary
Medical Therapy
Hysteroscopic Resection (TCRF)
Myomectomy
Hysterectomy
Endometrial Ablation
Uterine Artery Embolisation
Myolysis & Cryomyolysis
MRI Guided FUS Ablation
Doppler Guided Uterine Artery Occlusion
Share Your Stories
Your Stories
Submit Your Story
Support
Support Group Meetings
Online Forum
 
 
 
This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.
MR Guided FUS Therapy
 Print Friendly Page
Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound Therapy uses a combination of high intensity ultrasound waves and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The MIR is used to locate the fibroids and direct the high intensity ultrasound energy to heat the fibroids to destroy them.
Summary: MR guided high-intensity Focused Ultrasound
Key features Risks
  • Outpatient non-invasive procedure.
  • Duration of procedure: 3 - 4 hours.
  • Hospital stay: NONE (outpatient).
  • Recovery time: a few days.
  • Only shrink the fibroids and NOT remove them.
  • Suitable for small fibroids less than 7 cm.
  • Suitable for women who do NOT wish to become pregnant in the future.
  • Procedure can only be used for fibroids where the high intensity ultrasound energy does not pass through the bowel or bladder on its way to reach the fibroids.
  • NOT yet available on NHS. Private treatment costs approx £4k - £5K.
  • This procedure using instrument ExAblate® 2000 is approved by FDA in USA.
  • Small risks of :
    - skin burns,
    - back or leg pain,
    - nerve damage,
    - abdominal cramping,
    - nausea,
    - fever,
    - vaginal discharge,
    - urinary tract infection.
  • Treatment may not work and may require alternative treatment.
  • New fibroids may start growing and causing symptoms and hence require treatment.

What happens BEFORE the procedure?
  • You are required to fast the night before.
  • Your abdomen's should be cleaned and shaved from the umbilicus (belly button) to 1 cm below the pubic bone.
What happens DURING the procedure?
  • As a routine, on the day, assessment is performed and a pregnancy test is carried out.
  • An IV line is placed for sedatives and urinary catheter is connected to keep it empty during the course of the treatment.
  • You are given sedation and medication to help you to relax, usually titrated doses of fentanyl and midazolam along with heart rate and oxygen monitoring. You will be conscious throughout out the procedure.
  • You lie on your stomach on a table inside an MRI scanner.
  • MRI images are taken to plan your treatment.
  • The radiologist applies pulses of high intensity focused (each pulse lasting 20 seconds) to your fibroid until considered sufficient. The process takes approx 3 - 4 hours.
  • MRI images are taken to assess the results and the necrotic fibroid tissue shows as non-enhancement on the image.
Diagram Showing A Patient Receiving MR Guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound
What happens AFTER the procedure?
  • Rest for 1 - 2 hours.
  • Before discharge, your skin is checked for possible changes caused by the heat of the waves.
  • Hospital discharge: same day.
  • You may experience the followings :
    - abdominal pain: use OTC pain reliever,
    - cramp,
    - nausea,
    - shoulder pain due to lying still for hours during the procedure which may last a few days.
To see real clips of the procedure, please Click here
Author: Dr Nicki On, PhD, MRPharmS.
The information on this page has been peer-reviewed by
Dr Rajesh Varma, MA, PhD, MRCOG. Dept of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 7EH, UK.

DISCLAIMER
This website provides primarily information which is intended for educational purpose only. All contents within British Fibroid Trust should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or gynaecologist or any other health care professional.
Medical decisions must be made in consultation with a qualified gynaecologist or specialist based on a complete medical history, physical examination and diagnostic results.
British Fibroid Trust is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of our website.
The British Fibroid Trust is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advertised on any of the external sites. Always consult your own doctor if you're in any way concerned about your health.

Copyright © 2008 by Dr Nicki On for the British Fibroid Trust.
The above information can be reproduced freely for non-profit education purposes or as part of a public awareness initiative. Reproduction rights refer only to text. Logos, symbols, photographs, and any other graphical material which may not be used or reproduced without permission unless explicitly stated in the source document.

This page was last modified on Friday 4 December 2009 12:26 am.
New Feature Added!!
Factsheet in Turkish.

Factsheet in Hindi.
Fibroid Hot Topics
Fibroids & Infertility
Adhesions & Asherman's
Frequently Asked Questions
Mirena Q&A
Additional Resources
Operation's Clips
Multi-lingual Factsheets
Diagnostic Laparoscopy
Medical Publications
RCOG & RCR Guidance
Jargon Buster (Glossary)
Useful Links
BFT Membership
E-mail webmaster An information hub for women with fibroids.
Design & Maintenance by Dr Nicki On. 		© 2008-2010
BritishFibroidTrust
Privacy | Terms of Use | Contact Us