Ultrasound offers hope in treatment of fibroids

MUMBAI: Even as treatment of fibroids has become easier with minimal invasive surgery, the use of ultrasound promises to do away with the surgery altogether.
With the launch of non-invasive magnetic resonance-guided ultrasound surgery machine (MRgFUS) at Jaslok Hospital, women can now get rid of fibroids without incision or invasive surgery in just four hours."When high intensity ultrasound is focused on the fibroid, the temperature can be raised high enough to destroy it,'' said Dr W M Gedroyc, a London-based doctor, whose unit has performed the procedure on 500 women with an 80% success rate. The procedure will be available in Mumbai by February. "It will cost less than a normal laparoscopic procedure,'' said Dr Shrinivas Desai, director of radiology in Jaslok Hospital.
Dr Ravi Ramakant, head of radiology in KEM Hospital, said the technology was being hyped. "It is an expensive treatment. It may also not be suitable for some patients.''