Now, ultrasound makes foray into fibroid treatment

Madhavi Rajadhyaksha, TNN Nov 26, 2008, 01.31am IST

MUMBAI: A 46-year-old woman lay on a water-bed at a Khar (W) nursing home on Tuesday, all set to get a 6.5-cm fibroid removed from her tummy. However, unlike others, this patient had no cuts, didn't need anaesthesia or hospitalisation as her benign tumour was shrunk with the help of a high-tech ultrasound machine. Ultrasound, which is largely acknowledged for its diagnostic utility, has now made a foray into the city in a high-tech avatar. While the BEAMS Fibroid Centre in Khar offers a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for treatment of fibroids (the most common benign tumours in women), a newly-inaugurated Endoscopy Asia Centre in Sion boasts of

However independent experts TOI spoke to said the technology was still very nascent. In the West, studies have been conducted on MRI-Guided high-intensity ultrasound. It may be preferred by youngsters who dont want scars. However, we need to study the technology more, said gynaecologist Kiran Coelho of Lilavati Hospital. Meanwhile, Dr Vipulroy Rathod, consultant endoscopic surgeon of Endoscopy Asia said the new generation of endoscopic ultrasound would help in the accurate detection and stage of cancers in the pancreas, oesophagus or gall stones in the bile duct on a daycare basis."The technology can give up t0 90%-95% accuracy," he said.

Gynaecologist rakesh Sinha of BEAMS said the USG administered focused high frequency waves on the fibroid, shrinking it by 40% to 50% and easing the patient's pain. Unlike a surgery, the patient doesn't need to be Explaining how the technology works, gynaecologist Rakesh anaesthetised or require to be hospitalised.
an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), which would be able to accurately pick up gastro-intestinal and pancreato-biliary diseases. Sinha of BEAMS said the USG administered focused high frequency waves on the fibroid, thereby shrinking it by 40 to 50 % of its size and easing the patient's symptoms of pain. "Its advantages as compared to a surgery is that the patient will not have any scar, doesn't need to undergo anaesthesia or require to stay in hospital,'' said Dr Sinha. A patient would require up to three sittings depending on the size and number of fibroids they have. A similar endosongraphy equipment, which combines the benefit of an endoscope ( a tube-like instrument with a viewing lens at the end ) and an ultrasound ( provides pictures of internal organs), was recently acquired by civicrun Sion Hospital.

Endoscopy Asia 2nd Floor, Lion Tarachand Bapa Hospital Marg,Jain Society, Sion (West),Mumbai 400 022, India. Contact No (09:30 - 20:30) 022 2404 3522 / 2404 4680, 3208 8827 / 8 / 9 | Emergency (08:30 - 23:30) +91 93200 91763 / 98200 91763 | Email: enquiry@endoscopyasia.com |Telefax: 022 2404 4680