Uterine Fibroids

MR-guided, Focused Ultrasound for Treatment of Uterine Fibroids

MR-guided, focused ultrasound obliterates tumors by focusing high-intensity ultrasound beams on the growths, raising the temperature enough to destroy them. The treatment is guided by magnetic resonance (MR) images. The MR scanner allows the doctor, without opening up the body, to see where the fibroid is and what has been treated and to monitor temperature changes inside the body.

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Performed by interventional radiologists, in collaboration with the gynecologist, this thermal ablation technology is an exciting alternative to other therapies since it requires no incision or hospitalization. Mayo Clinic is one of the few facilities in the United States to offer this therapy.

The procedure lasts three to four hours. The patient lies on a patient table that fits into a standard MR scanner. First, the doctor identifies the tumor on images taken of the pelvic region. Then, the doctor will use a transducer to focus ultrasound waves into the tumor and heat a small spot in it to a temperature between 150 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Only a small spot is treated at a time and the process is repeated, usually about 50 times, until the fibroid is destroyed. The body gradually removes the dead tissue within a few months.

Patients need only light sedation to counter discomfort during treatment and should be back to full activity within one to two days. Patients may need over-the-counter medications to relieve pain after treatment.

The technology is limited to symptomatic women not interested in childbearing who have a few larger (rather than many smaller) fibroids. One caution is that, because this is a new technology, the long-term effects are not yet clear.