Can Focused Ultrasound Be Used to Treat Fibroids?
Ultrasound is a form of energy, and when used at high intensity and focused on an object, the energy can be used to destroy that object. This principle has recently been used in experiments for the treatment of fibroids. The ultrasound energy is generated outside the body but focused on a fibroid in the uterus. The procedure presently takes a few hours to treat each fibroid. The size of the fibroid that can be successfully treated is limited to about a two-inch (5cm) diameter. This procedure is in its early development. We hope these techniques can be refined so that the procedure time will be shorter, and the size of the treated fibroid can be larger.
