If you and your physician have decided to treat your prostate cancer using HIFU, here is what you can expect from your treatment:

Before the HIFU Treatment


Before your treatment is scheduled, you will be given two enemas in order to clean the bowel thoroughly before the procedure. You will be given a light sedative via IV to help you remain calm. Then, the spinal anesthesia will be administered.

During the HIFU Treatment


HIFU is delivered through a small probe inserted into the rectum. It sends ultrasound waves into the prostate gland. The probe also captures real-time images of the gland and the surrounding tissue. This allows the physician to make changes to the treatment delivery if warranted. Patients feel no pain during treatment.

After the HIFU Treatment


Patients are taken to a recovery room after the HIFU procedure, where they will recover for one to two hours. This requires the insertion of a catheter, which the patient will wear for up to four weeks. Most patients can start walking within a few hours of receiving HIFU with the Sonablate® 500. In international studies of the device outside of the U.S., patients reported the following potential side effects: incontinence (0.6%), retention (0.6%), rectal fistula (1%), urinary stricture (18%), and erectile dysfunction (20%).