Transrectal ablation of prostate tissue using focused ultrasound

Canine and human prostates were treated with high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) using a transrectal probe. Near the beam focus, temperatures were shown to be greater than 60°C, while periprostatic tissue temperatures increased ⩽3°C; rectal wall temperatures did not rise more than 5°C over the baseline. In 15 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), no major complications resulted from HIFU treatment, and statistically significant improvements in peak and average flow rates were observed at both 90 and 180 days post-treatment