Histotripsy

• Effective: Histotripsy has shown a 95.5% success rate in clinical trials, and multiple tumors can be treated in a single therapy session.
• Precise: It can be used to target and destroy only unwanted tissue, such as tumors, without causing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
• Noninvasive: The procedure allows you to avoid incisions, needles, or other insertions through the skin. Instead, you receive painless general anesthesia to minimize movement during treatment and typically go home the same day.
• Fewer side effects: Because histotripsy doesn’t require incisions, it reduces the risk of infection, bleeding, long recovery times and other complications. Typically, it has little to no side effects; most patients return home the same day and quickly resume normal activities with minimal discomfort.

Histotripsy can be used to effectively treat liver tumors in patients who aren’t candidates for open surgery or have been told their liver tumor is inoperable. It can be used in combination with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, and it can also be used to treat metastatic cancer that has spread to the liver.

However, first there are several factors that must be assessed and discussed with your doctor – like the size and number of tumors – to determine if you’re a candidate.

Before the procedure:

• You might be required to follow some dietary restrictions before the planned histotripsy.

During the procedure:

• Your doctor may perform an ultrasound for additional confirmation of your tumor location.
• General anesthesia will be administered.
• Procedure time varies depending on specific factors and the number of histotripsy treatments being delivered.

After the procedure:

• You could experience some pain or discomfort depending on the treatment area.
• Many patients return home on the same day as the procedure, or the day after, and resume their normal activities quickly.