Now, remove uterine fibroids the painless way

MUMBAI - Women suffering from uterine fibroids, a common gynaecological problem, need not go through painful surgery any more. The fibroids can be treated through a painless and bloodless procedure introduced in India for the first time in Mumbai’s Jaslok Hospital.

Jaslok Hospital Tuesday launched the procedure using GE Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) - which treats uterine fibroids by using high intensity ultrasound waves to non-invasively destroy benign tumours of the uterus.

Uterine fibroids affect significantly large numbers of women - an estimated 50 percent - causing a variety of symptoms such as pelvic pain, incontinence and swelling of the abdomen.

Presently, the most common treatment for fibroids is hysterectomy, a surgical procedure that involves a stay in hospital and up to six weeks of recovery time. The package is usually priced at up to Rs.1.5 lakh, while the new procedure is likely to cost half the amount.

The new technology is also approved for the treatment of bone metastases.

“The technology is being introduced in India as a fast, very cost-effective alternative to hysterectomy or removal of uterus. It will not only remove fibroids without causing any damage to surrounding tissues,” Srinivas Desai, director Imaging & Interventional Radiology of Jaslok Hospital, told IANS here Tuesday.

“The treatment is carried out as an outpatient procedure. It has a much shorter recovery time than the regular hysterectomy. It helps women to return much more quickly to normal daily activities. Moreover, with the uterus unharmed, the fertility of the woman remains intact,” Desai explained.

The technology is developed by Insightec Inc, US, that works exclusively with GE 1.5T and 3.0T Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems.

“This will not only ease the pain of patients but will also reduce the cost of the treatment by 50 percent,” said V. Raja, president & CEO, GE South Asia.

“The machine, costing around Rs.150 million (Rs.15 crore), combines MRI to visualise tissues in the body, plan the treatment and monitor treatment outcome and high intensity focused ultrasound to heat or thermally ablate the diseased tissue,” said Desai.

“With MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound technology, we can treat not only uterine fibroids, but also bone metastases, breast, prostate and other cancers,” he added.

Desai said that with the technology, tumours and fibroids can be removed without cutting open the body. “This would also save patients from difficulties associated with cutting the body, without losing a drop of blood, long periods of hospitalisation and other related costs,” Desai said.

Sandhya Dhure, one of the first women in India to undergo treatment through this procedure, is elated with the effects.

“I was diagnosed with large uterine fibroids five years ago and surgery. I was reluctant to go in for removal of my uterus so was put on medication all these years,” Dhure told IANS, hours before the machine was formally launched at Jaslok Hospital Tuesday.

The new machine proved a boon for her five-year old problem. “It took just two hours for my treatment, no deep cuts, no ugly post-operative scars, no pain whatsoever, and no anaesthesia,” Dhure gushed.

“It is a month since the procedure, and I can see the results already - no excessive bleeding or post-procedure pains and even the bloating on my stomach is gone,” she added.