SONABLATE® 500 Prostate Cancer Treatment Los Angeles

The Sonablate® 500 difference… not all HIFU equipment is equal!

As with any technology or device, there are differences between the products of manufacturers.  While the two HIFU devices currently available share a common concept – using high energy ultrasound beams to heat and destroy cancerous tissue – there several reasons why, at Western States HIFU, Dr. Robert Pugach uses the Sonablate® 500 HIFU treatment system exclusively to treat his prostate cancer patients.

Some of the reasons Dr. Pugach uses the Sonablate® 500 include:

  • Patient position:  With the Sonablate® 500 platform, patients are treated on their back in a “lithotomy” position.  The other system, called “Ablatherm,” manufactured by the French company EDAP Technomed, treats patients while lying on their side.  Dr. Pugach feels that patient positioning is critical in order to clearly see, map out and deliver the proper amount of energy for prostate cancer treatment.
  • High energy:  The Sonablate® 500 system is capable of delivering higher ultrasound energy to penetrate larger prostates than the Ablatherm system is capable of doing.  This ability to treat larger prostates is very important because many patients who are considering an Ablatherm procedure require additional surgery beforehand to reduce the size of their prostate.  That operation is called a TURP.
  • Tissue change monitoring:  This is an exclusive feature of the Sonablate® 500 system.  A fraction of a second before an ultrasound beam is fired into the prostate tissue, a radiofrequency wave is aimed at the target area.  After the ultrasound beam heats the tissue, a second radiofrequency beam is fired.  This determines whether enough heat was generated in this area.  When the tissue does not change sufficiently the computer generates a particular color and alerts the HIFU practitioner that more energy may be needed. This feature is only available with the Sonablate® 500 device. Sonablate® 500   is the higher energy, FDA approved medical device approved by the FDA to treat prostate cancer with HIFU ultrasound energy.  While there is another manufacturer of a HIFU medical device, Dr. Robert Pugach, as one of the most experienced HIFU urologists in the world, has determined that the Sonablate® 500 delivers superior treatment power and better long-term results than other devices.
  • Precise ultrasound imaging:  Dr. Pugach feels, as one of the most experienced HIFU practitioners in the world, that the ultrasound resolution and quality achieved with the Sonablate® 500

Schedule a consultation online with Dr. Pugach.

Benefits of the Sonablate® 500 System

The primary benefit of the Sonablate® 500 system is that it allows Dr. Pugach to customize a treatment plan based on a patient’s individual anatomy to achieve the best possible treatment outcome while minimizing or eliminating the risk of quality-of-life side effects, such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction.

To summarize the features and advantages of the Sonablate® 500 device for HIFU:

  • A non-invasive procedure that does not require surgery.
  • Customized treatment plans for every patient.
  • Pinpointing tissue density and location of vital structures based on individual patient anatomy.
  • Precise delivery and targeting of ultrasound energy to the cancer target (focal point).
  • Treatment of smaller cancer lesion sizes when appropriate.
  • Treatment of larger prostates without the need for pre-HIFU surgery (e.g., a TURP).to reduce prostate size.
  • Proprietary software design that provides continuous, real-time data and information during every treatment to enable more precise control of temperature levels.
  • Specialized technology built into the treatment planning computer system to identify and preserve the nerves and blood vessels that can maintain erections.

HIFU PROCEDURE PATIENT VIDEO -View a video of Dr. Pugach performing a HIFU procedure. Learn more from patients treated with HIFU.  (View Patient videos)

With more than 17 years of HIFU treatment experience, Dr. Robert Pugach is confident in the efficacy and safety of the Sonablate® HIFU treatment system!

To schedule a consultation at our urology clinic in Los Alamitos, CA,  call 877-884-HIFU (877-884-4438) or email us via our contact us form on this website. We also offer telephone or online (virtual) consultations for those patients that don’t live in our geographic area. We look forward to welcoming you to Western States HIFU.  We’re here to help you!