title: ExAblate magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound system in multiple body applications.
abstract: Focused ultrasound surgery (FUS) is a completely noninvasive method of thermally destroying a target tissue while sparing adjacent tissues and organs. Treatment is relatively painless and can be carried out under conscious sedation on an out-patient basis. The combination of magnetic resonance guidance with FUS (MRgFUS) provides the ability to plan and monitor treatments in near real-time, further increasing the safety profile of MRgFUS. This technology provides a very personalized treatment, adjusted to the individual patient anatomy, pathology and treatment response, hence it meets the needs of patients, as well as of physicians. MRgFUS has been used extensively in the successful treatment of uterine fibroids, and has been shown to be an effective treatment in the breast and in bone metastases in smaller scale studies. It shows great potential in the treatment of prostate and liver tumors, as well as in the brain and facet joints.
authors.affiliation: Department of MRI, St Mary's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Dick
authors.forename: W M W
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Gedroyc
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D013010:Sonication; D013696:Temperature; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*