High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)

What is High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound?

HIFU is a treatment option for certain prostate cancer patients. This technology focuses high-intensity ultrasound waves on the affected area, causing localized heat to destroy cancer cells without damaging healthy surrounding tissue.

Advantages of HIFU

HIFU is the latest treatment option using focal therapy to treat prostate cancer. This non-invasive procedure preserves patient’s quality of life by ablating only the diseased part of the prostate.

• Non-invasive and non-surgical: HIFU requires no blades, scars, radiation, or incisions.
• Minimal side effects: Patients experience a low risk of side effects such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence.
• Quality of life: Shortly after the procedure, patients can get back to their regular day-to-day activities.
• Outpatient procedure: HIFU is an outpatient procedure, meaning patients will go home the same day.

How a HIFU procedure works

What to expect the day of the procedure

The patient will arrive the morning of the procedure, after having completed a bowel prep the night before.

During the procedure

Next, the patient is placed under general anesthesia and the urologist will perform the procedure using the Focal One robotic system. The urologist will perform the HIFU procedure with precision and accuracy, ablating only the targeted tissue.

After the procedure

The patient will typically be discharged shortly after the procedure is done. To limit risk of urinary retention due to swelling, a temporary catheter will be placed. Typically, the catheter is removed at the first follow-up appointment five to seven days later. Additional follow-up will include PSA testing three months, six months, and one year later.