As one of the most advanced treatments for prostate cancer, HIFU is being offered at Associated Urologists of NC (AUNC) in Raleigh by six experienced physicians: Frank Tortora MD, Daniel Khera-McRackan MD, Mark Jalkut MD, William Kizer MD, Emil Kheterpal MD and Joseph Neighbors MD.
Full Answer
What to expect during a HIFU for prostate cancer treatment?
What to expect during the HIFU procedure. Since it is necessary that all your movement be minimized during the treatment, spinal anesthesia is administered as well as intravenous sedation so you will rest comfortably during the procedure. The treatment may last anywhere from 2 to 3 hours depending on the size of your prostate.
Is HIFU an option after prostatectomy?
This is called salvage HIFU. HIFU may not be suitable if you have a large prostate. Focal HIFU may still be an option if the areas of cancer are close enough to the probe for the ultrasound to treat. Your scan and biopsy results will show whether this is the case.
Is HIFU covered by insurance?
While you can certainly request that your HIFU procedure be pre-authorized by your insurance plan, this is typically not possible because HIFU does not have a “CPT” code. Because of this, there is usually no mechanism that allows for insurance company coverage. Occasionally, you can get retroactive reimbursement.
Does Medicare cover HIFU?
“””” Medicare has finally issued a facility billing code to cover much of the cost of HIFU (high-intensity ablation of the prostate gland) in the treatment of prostate cancer. HIFU is an alternative primary treatment option available to men with prostate cancer that is still confined to the prostate gland.
Does Medicare cover HIFU for prostate cancer in 2021?
IS HIFU COVERED BY MEDICARE OR HEALTH INSURANCE? Medicare now covers the facility portion of a HIFU procedure. The facility portion coverage means that all charges from a hospital or surgery center where your procedure will be performed are covered.
Has the FDA approved HIFU for prostate cancer?
High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound or HIFU is an FDA-approved, minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of prostate cancer that offers personalized treatment and dramatically reduced side effects.
Has HIFU been approved by the FDA?
On November 27, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Sonalleve MR-HIFU system (Profound Medical Inc.) for the treatment of osteoid osteoma in the extremities.
What is the cost of HIFU treatment for prostate cancer?
Additionally, the cost of the HIFU machine ranges from $450,000 to $700,000, adding to the overall costs of the technology relative to other treatment options.
Is HIFU approved in the US?
Is high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) safe for patients? High-intensity focused ultrasound was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in about 50 countries including the United States. Outside of the US, the procedure has been used to treat prostate cancer in over 65,000 men.
Does insurance cover HIFU treatment for prostate cancer?
Unlike some other treatments for prostate cancer, it is not yet covered by insurance. That is because it typically takes about 5 years from FDA approval of a procedure to the time when insurers pay for it. For HIFU, that means insurance will likely begin very limited coverage in 2021.
What are the disadvantages of HIFU?
The disadvantages of HIFU therapy include:No long-term (20 – 30 years) outcome data available.Quality of life issues include a potential risk of impotence and/or urinary incontinence.
Can You Have prostate Surgery After HIFU?
Just to make clear, surgery is still possible for ex-HIFU patients, although the operation needs to be done by an experienced surgeon because of the greater technical difficulty due to scarring around the prostate. We call such an operation a salvage prostatectomy.
How many treatments of HIFU do you need?
When a session is over, there is also no recovery time, which means that people can get on with their daily activities after receiving HIFU treatment. People may require between one and six sessions, depending on the results they want to achieve.
What is the best hospital for prostate cancer?
“Top hospitals” for cancer and for urologyUCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, CA.New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, New York, NY.Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.More items...•
What is the success rate of HIFU?
Results: HIFU overall success rate was 84% (biochemical relapses in only 4 patients out of 25). Success rate was represented as follows: 94.2% in the low risk group, 83.4% in the intermediate risk group and 0% in the high risk group.
Who is a candidate for HIFU prostate cancer treatment?
In general, the best candidates for HIFU have early, localized prostate cancer, an average size prostate, and desire a less invasive treatment that has a low risk of urinary leakage and erectile dysfunction. When cancer is confined to specific region of the prostate, Focal or Targeted HIFU treatment is possible.
Is HIFU covered by insurance?
Insurance companies do not cover HIFU procedures for the initial treatment of prostate cancer. Medicare covers the costs of HIFU to treat cancer th...
What are the side effects of HIFU?
The risk of urinary leakage or incontinence is less than 1%. The risk of significant erectile dysfunction is less than 5%.
Is HIFU approved by the FDA?
HIFU was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015 to remove prostate tissue. It has not been approved to treat prostate cancer an...
What is HIFU treatment?
HIFU treatment is like using a magnifying glass to intensely heat an area with sunlight. Ultrasound waves are the energy source, and high heat burns the cancerous tissues.
What does HIFU do?
HIFU uses focused, intense heat to destroy prostate cancer. Sound waves kill cancer cells without the use of radiation or incisions. HIFU also helps men avoid common side effects like urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. What to Expect During HIFU.
How long does it take to urinate after HIFU?
After HIFU Treatment. After this prostate cancer treatment: You should not feel any pain from the treatment. You have to use a catheter (a long, thin tube) for three days to help you urinate due to swelling in your prostate. You need to take only a week off of work, if necessary.
How long does a HIFU last?
Ultrasound waves are the energy source, and high heat burns the cancerous tissues. HIFU procedures generally last two to three hours as outpatient procedures. During treatment, your physician:
When was HIFU first used?
IU School of Medicine physicists and engineers — with help from IU Health surgeons — pioneered HIFU treatment for prostate cancer in the 1990s. Since then, we have made it even more effective. We remain leaders today in improving and administering this minimally invasive treatment.
How long does it take for a PSA to go down after HIFU?
You need to take only a week off of work, if necessary. We check your PSA levels periodically. After HIFU, they should go down significantly and then remain stable with only slow rises for the rest of your life. We perform another biopsy six months after your treatment to make sure the cancer is gone.
What is the best treatment for gland cancer?
In these situations, whole-gland therapies, such as prostatectomy or radiation, may be best.
What is a HIFU?
HIFU Clinical Update (PDF) The basic concept of how HIFU targets, burns and destroys specific prostate tissue is similar to how a magnifying glass can use the sun’s rays of light to burn a precise hole in a leaf at the point of intersection. Similar principles apply to HIFU.
How does HIFU work?
HIFU destroys prostate cancer through the delivery of precise and focused sound waves to a targeted spot of diseased prostate tissue. This technology uses ultrasound energy, not radiation, to destroy the targeted tissue. The Ultrasound energy, or sound waves, is transmitted through the rectal wall and focused at desired locations within ...
What is the purpose of a HIFU transducer?
Instead of using light as the source of energy, HIFU uses sound, and instead of a magnifying glass, HIFU uses a transducer. The sound waves that are aimed at the prostate tissue, rapidly increase tissue temperature, destroying only the cancerous lesions and protecting the healthy surrounding tissue.
What is a high intensity focused ultrasound?
What is high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)? High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound or HIFU is an FDA-approved, minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of prostate cancer that offers personalized treatment and dramatically reduced side effects.
Who are the UCLA Urologists?
Eligible patients have low-to-intermediate risk prostate cancer, with prostates that are not too enlarged. UCLA Urologists, Drs. Leonard Marks and Allan Pantuck, were the study investigators for the first U.S.-based HIFU clinical trails that began in March 2009. UCLA became the lead enroller nationwide for that study.
When was HIFU approved?
However, in October 2015, HIFU was approved by the FDA for use. Dr. Peretsman, a urologist in Charlotte, was among the first to perform the surgery on a prostate cancer patient in early December in the United States.
What Exactly Is HIFU?
The HIFU beam specifically focuses on the cancer tissue and kills it without affecting areas outside the prostate and without causing damage to the healthy tissue of the prostate.
Does HIFU cause incontinence?
HIFU can be specifically aimed at the cancerous tissue, therefore allowing tissue that’s still healthy to remain largely unaffected. As a result of this, it doesn’t have the side effects that conventional surgery and radiation have. Two of these side effects include erectile dysfunction and incontinence, and they can be long-term depending on your particular diagnosis and procedure. HIFU aims to avoid these side effects and doesn’t involve cutting out portions of the prostate or affecting the nerves that control erections and the bladder.
Who made the HIFU device?
Charlotte has played an important role in advocating for the approval of HIFU for more than ten years. An HIFU device called Sonablate was made with the collaboration of Charlotte’s Steve Puckett Sr. from SonaCare Medical and an Indiana-based company. Together, they were able to start clinics to perform HIFU outside of the country. Formerly, patients could only get HIFU done in clinical trials in the United States, which SonaCare Medical paid for.
Who is the doctor who did the HIFU?
That’s right, before high intensity focused ultrasound (better and more easily known as HIFU) was legal in the United States, Charlotte’s very well-known Dr. Samuel Peretsman traveled outside the country to help his Charlotte-based patients get this procedure done.
Is HIFU covered by insurance?
The benefits of HIFU are among the reasons why many patients are interested in this procedure, even though it’s not covered by insurance yet since it’s so newly approved. There also isn’t much long-term data, but the results are looking promising for this form of treatment.
Is HIFU a good treatment for prostate cancer?
Although HIFU is a relatively new procedure, it could be a great option for your prostate cancer if it hasn’t spread and isn’t aggressive. Although you may consider waiting until it’s covered by insurance! Congratulations to Dr. Peretsman for being one of the first doctors in the United States to be an expert at HIFU and to pioneer the way for other doctors to perform the treatment.
What is a HIFU prostate?
For those seeking alternatives, HIFU is an option which enables the surgeon to precisely target the area of the prostate where the cancer is located. Using high-intensity focused ultrasound energy to rapidly heat and destroy the targeted area of the prostate, HIFU is a non-surgical and non-radiation, one-stop and outpatient treatment.
When was HIFU approved?
However, in October 2015, HIFU was approved by the FDA for use. Dr. Peretsman, a urologist in Charlotte, was among the first to perform the surgery on a prostate cancer patient in early December in the United States.
What is Maple Leaf HIFU?
Maple Leaf HIFU has the most experience in treating prostate cancer patients with Ablatherm HIFU integrated imaging device in North America. The device has a computer-controlled rectal probe that is used to target the tumor and destroy the prostate tissue using ultrasound waves, without damaging surrounding organs. The treatment option has minimal side effects.
How many countries use ultrasound for prostate?
Focused ultrasound devices have been cleared to treat the prostate in approximately 50 countries, including the United States. Several systems for focused ultrasound ablation of prostate tissue are available in various geographical regions, each differing in their guidance method and approach transrectal or transurethral.
How long does it take to recover from a HIFU?
The procedure typically takes 2 to 4 hours de pending on the size of your prostate. After your brief recovery from your outpatient HIFU procedure you can be discharged home the same day. Thats a remarkable contrast to the hospitalization required for radical prostate surgery or radiation treatment that can take up to 7 weeks to complete.
How common is prostate cancer in men?
Prostate cancer is very common in men in the United States. One in five men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
When was HIFU first used?
IU School of Medicine physicists and engineers with help from IU Health surgeons pioneered HIFU treatment for prostate cancer in the 1990s. Since then, we have made it even more effective. We remain leaders today in improving and administering this minimally invasive treatment.
How is HIFU for prostate cancer performed?
High-frequency ultrasound for prostate cancer is performed on the special Focal One® device.
How to get cost of HIFU for prostate cancer in the shortest term?
Medical coordinators consult you and help to make the right choice. Bookimed services are free for you and do not affect the clinic's bill.
What to expect after High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for prostate cancer?
After HIFU therapy for prostate cancer, the inflammatory of prostate tissues is observed. This complication is temporary and disappears soon.