Histotripsy is a new and cutting-edge procedure to treat cancer in the liver. The treatment uses ultrasound waves – no incisions or needles – to precisely target and destroy tumor cells. Because the procedure is so new, UVA Health is one of a few places in the country (and first in the state of Virginia) with the proper training and equipment for histotripsy.
You may feel anxious about receiving histotripsy because you don’t know what to expect. That’s why we want to put you at ease by telling you everything that will happen during your histotripsy journey.
Article Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Sheeran, MD.
Before the Procedure
The first step to receive histotripsy is determining whether you are a good candidate. At UVA, the treatment is performed after a careful multispecialty review to ensure we are providing the right treatment at the right time for patients.
The interventional radiologist who will perform the histotripsy will consult with several doctors, including your primary care physician and oncologist, to make sure that histotripsy will be safe and effective. It is important to us that we choose this therapy at the right time for you given the array of alternative therapies available for treating liver cancer.
The Procedure Day
Once you have a date set to receive histotripsy, you’ll receive instructions to not eat or drink anything the night before the procedure. That’s because you’ll be under general anesthesia so that the interventional radiologist can target the tumors as precisely as possible.
On the day of the procedure, you will change into a medical gown and cared for by an anesthesiologist. Once asleep and comfortable, you will be positioned on a table beneath the focused ultrasound device. The physician will then use ultrasound imaging to guide the planning and delivery of histotripsy.
The procedure often takes between two and three hours.
A model of the histotripsy procedure.
After the Procedure
When you wake up after the procedure, you may not feel any different. Since histotripsy does not require any surgical incisions, there will be no incisions on your body, and your pain will likely be minor.
In the immediate recovery period, a CT will be performed to ensure accurate targeting and diagnose any complications. Many histotripsy patients then go home on the same day as their procedure. Because of this, you’ll need to arrange to have another person drive you home.
All patients will have some discomfort for a few days. Many resume normal activities within 24-48 hours. You will have medications prescribed to you to help control pain as needed and prevent infection. Some patients will take a short course of anticoagulation.
You will then have a CT or MRI scan performed one month after the procedure to assess for effectiveness of the therapy and diagnosis and complicating features. Additional treatments and therapy will be dictated by your particular diagnosis.
Contact
UVA Health is one of a few places in the country (and first in the state of Virginia) with the proper training and equipment for histotripsy. If you are a patient looking to make an appointment at UVA Health and find out if histotripsy might be right for you, please visit this website.
