CancerCompass message board discussion started by imagine on 5/2/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,23676,0.htm Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ For the last three days I have wrapped my mind around every bit of information I could find on HIFU.  Most of the websites seem to be or state funding from the companies who make the two different machines, and the Drs that use them.  Keeping that in mind I decided to look for the Drs who have the most experience with how many men they treated using HIFU with the two different machines.  More experience less room for error.  I also came up with a list of questions.  So here's what I just bounced off a Dr.  PLEASE do not quote me on my interpretation of the discussion.  I am three days into this so for those who are quite more researched please be kind.  These are my thoughts processed in my mind from my 15 conversation written in my words.  Ablertherm was the first machine used.  It's better for larger prostrates because the ultrasound "wave" hits a bigger area.  A smaller prostrate would be more difficult because it would hit outside the prostrate gland.  Turp is usually done on men with bigger prostrates before HIFU to shrink the prostrate because Ablertherm has size restrictions.  Turp is done sometimes after either machine to shrink the swelling of the "shell" of the prostrate making it easier to urinate and pass the dead cells and tissues.  The "wave" heats and destroys the whole inside of the prostrate gland and the tissues and cells all work there way out and pass with pee.  Slothing is a result.  A hollow shell of the gland is left.  Interesting.  Sonoblate  has been used on 10,000. men in the world since it came out.  The technology upgrades to the 500 software do not have a steep learning curve.  This Dr uses Sonoblate 500 and did 1500. procedures himself.  He said he has used the Ablertherm machine and an afterthought was how many times in the 1500 or were those a separate number of men.  He was trained at University of Indiana and went to Europe for additional training.  Makes me think Urology in Indiana and HIFU certified in Europe possibly started using Ablertherm.  It seems like Ablertherm is used more in Europe.  Would the companies themselves give a number for the Drs for how many men they used there machines on?  I heard someone mention somewhere  A top 5.  Where can you correctly find out who the top 5 are?  Top referred to as the number of men personally treated.  Is the 2% risk of nerve damage a statistic from both machines or the Sonoblate?  IS the 2 % statistic from the updated software on the sonoblate machine?  Who are the Dr's who have had the most experience on men that use one machine over the other?  Finally the “hollow” shell of the gland.  If the dead cells expel though the outside what happens inside.  Can it fill with back up overtime possibly with toxins?  My mind is now warped.  I would appricate any feedback  from anyone who has different thoughts or a way to get statistics on the most experienced Dr’s. Next week I will bounce all of this off of the Dr I spoke to today and will have another mind warp trivia! imagine Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT