Focused Ultrasound Therapy
Focused ultrasound is a noninvasive, therapeutic technology with the potential to improve the quality of life and decrease the cost of care for patients with stress urinary incontinence. This novel technology focuses beams of ultrasound energy precisely and accurately on targets in the body without damaging surrounding normal tissue.
How it Works
Where the beams converge in the vagina, focused ultrasound produces physiologic and structural changes that will decrease the incidence of stress urinary incontinence.
Advantages
The primary options for treatment of stress urinary incontinence include medication, absorbent clothing, or platelet-rich fibrin injections.
For certain patients, focused ultrasound could provide a noninvasive – and perhaps more effective – alternative to conventional therapy. Focused ultrasound carries less risk of complications – such as surgical wound healing or infection – at a lower cost. It can reach the desired target without damaging surrounding tissue and is repeatable, if necessary. While significant work has been accomplished, there is still much to be done before this technology will be widely available.
Clinical Trials
A clinical trial in Krakow, Poland, is conducting a randomized comparison of repeated intravaginal focused ultrasound treatment compared to repeated, sub-urethral injections of autologous centrifuged platelet-rich plasma.
Regulatory Approval and Reimbursement
Focused ultrasound treatment for stress urinary incontinence is not yet approved by regulatory bodies or covered by medical insurance companies.
Notable Papers
Robin D, Peyronnet B, Bentellis I, El-Akri M, Cornu JN, Brierre T, Cousin T, Gaillard V, Poussot B, Dupuis H, Tricard T, Hermieu N, Pitout A, Beraud F, Chevallier D, Bruyere F, Biardeau X, Monsaint H, Corbel L, Hermieu JF, Lecoanet P, Capon G, Saussine C, Gamé X, Léon P. [Artificial urinary sphincter in patients with urinary incontinence after High Intensity Focused ultrasound]. Prog Urol. 2022 Mar;32(4):284-290. doi: 10.1016/j.purol.2021.11.004. Epub 2022 Feb 4.
Liu D, Adams M, Burdette EC, Diederich CJ. Dual-sectored transurethral ultrasound for thermal treatment of stress urinary incontinence: in silico studies in 3D anatomical models. Med Biol Eng Comput. 2020 Jun;58(6):1325-1340. doi: 10.1007/s11517-020-02152-6. Epub 2020 Apr 10.
Click here for additional references from PubMed.