Women’s Centre, an exclusive women’s health centre in Coimbatore,  announced the availability of a breakthrough, non-invasive therapeutic tool,  MR guided Focused Ultrasound technology (MRgFUS), to treat uterine fibroids with high intensity focused ultrasound waves instead of a major surgical operation which requires hospitalization and long recovery time.

GE Healthcare is a minority shareholder in InSightec Ltd and is a distributor of ExAblate which is a Magnetic Resonance (MR) guided Focused Ultrasound technology (MRgFUS) to treat uterine fibroids.

ExAblate system is exclusively compatible with GE Healthcare’s normal and wide bore systems, including SignaHDxt 1.5T, SignaHDxt 3.0T, Optima MR450 & 450w, and Discovery MR750 & 750w. It combines therapeutic acoustic ultrasound waves with continuous guidance and treatment monitoring by MRI. Physicians use the MRI to plan and guide the therapy and monitor treatment outcome. The focused ultrasound’s acoustic energy destroys the target without damaging surround tissues.

The MRgFUS treatment is carried out as an out-patient procedure, has a shorter recovery time and allows women to return to normal daily activities almost the next day.

Uterinefibroids are the most common non-cancerous in women of child bearing age. Studies show that 25 to 30 per cent of women suffer from this condition while 77 per cent women may have it and may not be aware as they exhibit few or no symptoms. Until recently the most common treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids was invasive hysterectomy surgery while drug therapy provided only short term relief.

“Due to the lack of awareness of better treatment options, many patients undergo hysterectomy that entails the loss of a reproductive organ, long hospital stay and recovery time,” said Dr Mirudhubashini Govindarajan, clinical director, Womens Centre.

Now MRgFUS ablates uterine fibroid tissues without cutting the body or losing a drop of blood and avoids prolonged hospitalization, she added.

InSightec’ s MRgFUS offers non-invasive, non-ionizing radiation treatment with minimal discomfort and trauma in a single session of two to three hours. This mature technology provides consistent, predictable and immediate results allowing patient quick recovery and a return to normal life the very next day. The treatment involves no incisions hence no scars or post-operative complications or long hospital stay.

“Operating room of the future is here in India already. Womens Centre, Coimbatore is the fourth hospital in India to be equipped with MRgFUS. InSightec and GE’s MRgFUS can cut tumours and fibroids without cutting the body! It is the best thing that happened to medicine since the scalpel. It is a dramatic change for women, a proven technology and has already helped treat400 women with uterine fibroids successfully in the country, said Dr Karthik Kuppusamy, director, MRI, GE Healthcare, South Asia.