Published in MPW, 23 Oct 2014
A non-invasive surgical technique known as MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) is “sufficiently reliable and safe” to begin clinical trials in the liver. That’s according to researchers in Finland and the Netherlands, who have assessed the use of the technique in a clinically acceptable setting.
MR-HIFU works by combining the observational ability of MRI with the use of intense ultrasound to ablate tissue. The ultrasound ablates the tissue by heating it where the sound waves are focused, without needing any surgical incisions. Meanwhile, the MR imaging gives the practitioner several windows to see what is happening: it provides 3D anatomical images for initial targeting; it registers temperature to show where the heating is taking place; and it shows how well blood is perfusing. Since thermal ablation stops blood perfusion, this latter ability of MRI validates whether the technique has been a success. […]
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