On 11/26/2007
halvan wrote:
Hi Doug,
Thanks for your reply. Dr. Chinn practices in California but takes his patients to Germany for the HIFU procedure. Has used both Ablatherm & Sonablate. He currently uses only Ablatherm. He most always performs a TURP before the HIFU.
I would like to hear more about your experience - Has the cancer returned?, How long did you deal with incontinence & ED?, Any signs of either incontinence or ED at this point?, Who did the surgery at Maple Leaf?, Did you have the nerve sparing procedure?, How was the recuperation?, Did you have TURP?
I would appreciate any info you'd care to share.
Thanks,
Hal
Hal:
Here's a link to a research paper that Dr. Chin authored comparing Ablatherm to Sonablate 500 http://prostate-cancer.org/education/novelthr/Chinn_Transrec It's appears to me from Dr. Chinn that the Sonablate is the superior choice for HIFU. I looked at Maple Leaf's website and I think you will receive equally excellent results with both Sonablate and Ablatherm. As expected, Maple Leaf as failed to throughly explian the signifigance in key differences between the Sonablate and Ablatherm, which boosts their technology. However, after review of Dr. Chinn's comparison, and others I will likely pursue treatment by a physician using Sonablate. Also, features that Maple Leaf point out such as the equipment shuts down if the patient moves is okay. But forther research show that this is only an infrared unit attached to the patients's hip. Obviously the bowels can still move without your hip moving, which indicates that close monitoring by the doctor is necessary and more importatnt. Do your own research from a technical viewpoint and don't necessarily depend on messgae boards. For all you know I own stock in Sonablate or perhaps others have their own agenda for a specific Doctor or clinic.
Best of luck,
Todd