WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EXABLATE 2000?

ExAblate is an outpatient procedure designed to reduce your fibroid related symptoms, resulting in a significant improvement in your quality of life. It is a non-invasive alternative to surgery or hormonal treatments. Your uterus and cervix are not removed. It involves no hospital stay and allows you to return to your normal routine in a few days.

 

WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE PROCEDURE?

During the three to four hour procedure, you lie on your stomach on a table inside an MRI scanner. Sedation and pain medication are given to help you relax. You are conscious throughout the procedure and your doctor communicates with you. The doctor obtains MR images of your uterus and uses these to plan your treatment.

The individual pulses of focused ultrasound energy, called  “sonications,” last about 20 seconds and are applied to your fibroid until your doctor is satisfied with the treatment. Afterwards, MR images are taken to evaluate treatment effectiveness.

 

WHAT HAPPENS TO ME AFTER EXABLATE?

Following the procedure, you rest for one to two hours while the sedation wears off. You may experience some abdominal pain, cramping or nausea. If necessary, your doctor will provide instructions for medications to keep you comfortable after discharge. Usually only over-the-counter pain medication is required. You may experience some cramping, similar to that experienced during a menstrual period, or shoulder or back pain that lasts a few days after the treatment from lying still during the procedure. Most women are able to return to work and normal activity within one to two days.

 

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF MR GUIDED FUS?

As with any medical procedure, there are risks involved with the ExAblate treatment. These risks could include skin burns, back or leg pain, nerve damage, abdominal cramping, nausea, fever, vaginal discharge and urinary tract infection. The incidence of these complications is relatively low. There is a risk that the treatment may not be successful and you may require an alternative treatment. Also, the treatment may be successful in reducing symptoms in the treated fibroid, but at a later time, other fibroids may grow and require treatment. This is true for all fibroid treatment alternatives, except hysterectomy.

 

HOW DO I KNOW IF
I’M A CANDIDATE FOR EXABLATE?

Consult your gynecologist or visit www.txfibroid.com for more information. Your physician will help you decide if you are a candidate. This procedure is for women who do not wish to become pregnant in the future. The effects of ExAblate on the ability to become pregnant and carry a baby to term have not been determined.

 

WHAT SHOULD I EXPERIENCE DURING TREATMENT?

Before treatment you are given a sedative and pain medication to help you relax. You lie prone (on your abdomen) on a special table and are made comfortable before starting treatment. The treatment takes place with you lying on the patient table inside the MR scanner. Your clinical team will be in the next room with two-way communication using a microphone and a speaker. The nurse will be at your bedside within the MR suite throughout the procedure, communicating with you. The doctor will inform you when images are being acquired (scanning) and when the system is sonicating (treatment).

During treatment, it is normal to feel a warming sensation in the pelvic region. You will be given a safety stop button that allows you to immediately stop the sonication if the treatment becomes painful.

You are conscious the entire time and provide feedback during the procedure to the physician and nurse. Afterwards you’ll be asked to rest for a few hours in the clinic, while the mild sedation wears off. Then you’ll be able to go home and resume normal activity.

 

WHAT HAPPENS DURING PROCEDURE?

During the procedure you lie on your stomach on a patient table that fits into a standard MRI scanner.

First, the doctor identifies the fibroid(s) on MR images taken of your pelvic region. Then, after detailed planning, high energy focused ultrasound waves heat a small spot in the uterine fibroid to a temperature of up to 85oC. During the pulse or sonication, which lasts about 15 seconds, the doctor monitors the progress and reviews temperature-sensitive images. Since each sonication treats a very small volume, this process will be repeated until the required volume is treated, typically about 50 times. The procedure lasts about 3 hours depending upon the size and number of fibroids treated.

Following the treatment the body gradually removes the treated tissue over a period of months, but most women experience symptom improvement beginning the day following the procedure!

The patient lies in the prone position on a patient table inside the MRI during treatment. Focused ultrasound waves are directed toward the fibroid. During each “sonication” (dose of focused ultrasound), a small volume of the fibroid is ablated. After multiple sonications, the entire fibroid is ablated. A MR pelvic coil surrounding the patient is used to obtain images during treatment.

 

IS EXABLATE® RIGHT FOR ME?

ExAblate® represents a new paradigm for women who wish to treat their fibroids while retaining their uterus. This advanced medical treatment is conducted in an outpatient setting, without the need for general anesthesia or hospitalization, greatly reducing recovery time and the risks of side effects. Usually within 1 – 3 days, you can return to your daily routine and begin the road to improved quality of life without the distressing symptoms you’ve had in the past.

If you’d like to see if your insurance covers this procedure, or receive a free DVD by mail, please CONTACT US today.