On April 1, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Emmy Award-winning host of The Dr. Oz Show, hosted a live health and safety festival at the Gardens Mall in South Florida that featured an educational seminar on focused ultrasound technology. During “Sound Waves Replace Surgery,” three physicians, including the Foundation’s Chief Medical Officer, Suzanne LeBlang, MD, spoke on why they are passionate about using the technology and how it is changing patients’ lives.

The panel included:

• Michael Kaplitt, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine
• Suzanne LeBlang, MD, medical director for the Fibroid Education Center and co-chief medical officer for the Foundation
• Dan Sperling, MD, DABR, medical director, Sperling Medical Group

Dr. Sperling began by explaining the science behind focused ultrasound and the importance of non-invasive, image-guided surgery techniques. Then, Drs. LeBlang and Kaplitt spoke to their experiences treating uterine fibroids and brain disorders, respectively, and shared powerful patient stories of focused ultrasound offering outcomes that traditional treatments cannot.

Later, Drs. LeBlang and Kaplitt joined other physicians on stage with Dr. Oz. There was lively discussion about focused ultrasound’s ability to treat non-invasively and the advantages of the shorter recovery times. “I have patients as old at 93 years old that we treated,” Dr. Kaplitt told Dr. Oz in a video of the event. “They got better immediately, and we sent them home an hour later. You and I would never do that with invasive surgery.”

More than 7,000 people attended events throughout the day, and it is estimated that nearly 2,000 listened to the focused ultrasound seminar. “The crowd seemed very engaged, and I had patients come up to me afterward to ask questions and find out how to get treated,” notes Dr. LeBlang. “Knowledge is power. With proper education and awareness, patients and medical providers can make better health care choices.”

The Health and Safety Festival is an annual free event. Details for the 2018 festival have not yet been announced.