1. Arriving at the hospital
Getting ready
MR-HIFU treatment is a ‘day treatment’. That means that you will arrive at the hospital in the morning, receive the MR-HIFU treatment, and return home the same day. The MR-HIFU treatment itself takes about 3 to 4 hours. During treatment, you are in a MRI scanner, your vital signs are monitored and you receive Propofol sedation through an intravenous catheter.
2. Starting the treatment
The MRI scan
At the start of the treatment, a MRI scan is made. A MRI scanner uses a very strong magnetic field and radio waves to generate signals in the body. These signals are received by an antenna and converted into an image in a computer. With the help of this MRI scan, the intervention radiologist doctors will be able to have a clear picture of the bone metastasis that will be treated. The laboratory technician will help you lay down on the MR-table, to ensure you’re in a comfortable position for your treatment. MRI imaging will be used again during the treatment in order to perform the treatment very accurately. The MRI will also measure the temperature in the bone metastasis, the periosteum and surrounding healthy tissues, this way the heating of the tissues can be monitored to make sure only the right areas are targeted, and healthy tissue is not harmed.
2. Starting the treatment
3. During the treatment
You will be asleep
During the treatment you will be asleep. An anesthetist-assistant will provide you with a sleeping aid and pain relief via intravenous infusion, and will monitor your breathing, heart rate and blood pressure during treatment. After the treatment, you will be taken to the nursing ward, where you will slowly wake up again. When the sedation has worn off, and you feel well again a few hours after the treatment, you will be able to go home, unless there are medical reasons to keep you in the hospital longer for observation. Because of the use of the sedative, you will have to be accompanied by someone the first 24 hours after treatment, and you are not allowed to drive a vehicle.
4. After the treatment
Check-ups in the hospital
After the treatment, follow up phone calls and hospital visits will be planned to evaluate the effect of the treatment.
Is MR-HIFU treatment right for me?
MR-HIFU might be a suitable treatment for you if your doctor has diagnosed bone metastases as the cause of your pain. If you would like to get more information about the treatment, please contact your treating physician about the possibilities.4. After the treatment
