Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound
(HIFU)
*** Not currently offered at The University of Chicago Medicine ***
Magnetic resonance guided high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an exciting therapy that offers a non-invasive outpatient treatment option for women with painful fibroids.
Combining the advantages of focused ultrasound with the superb three-dimensional imaging of MRI, HIFU is much faster and more comfortable than surgical treatments. This reduces patient stress and speeds recovery.
The ultrasound energy used in HIFU can pass through skin, muscle, fat and other soft tissues. High-intensity ultrasound energy that is directed to the fibroid heats up the tissue and destroys it. This method of tissue destruction is called thermal ablation.
MRI also enables the physician to monitor tissue temperature in real-time to ensure adequate but safe heating of the target. Immediate imaging of the treated area following HIFU helps the physician determine if the treatment was successful.
Combining the advantages of focused ultrasound with the superb three-dimensional imaging of MRI, HIFU is much faster and more comfortable than surgical treatments. This reduces patient stress and speeds recovery.
The ultrasound energy used in HIFU can pass through skin, muscle, fat and other soft tissues. High-intensity ultrasound energy that is directed to the fibroid heats up the tissue and destroys it. This method of tissue destruction is called thermal ablation.
MRI also enables the physician to monitor tissue temperature in real-time to ensure adequate but safe heating of the target. Immediate imaging of the treated area following HIFU helps the physician determine if the treatment was successful.
This procedure is new and not widely available. The University of Chicago is one of only six centers in the world involved in the SOFIA trial. This international study is being conducted to the confirm the safety and clinical effectiveness of the Philips Sonalleve MR-HIFU Fibroid Therapy system for ablating symptomatic uterine fibroids.
