Santa Barbara-based Cottage Health Outpatient Surgery Center is the first health system in California's Central Coast region to use Focal One's noninvasive robotic high intensity focused ultrasound treatment for accurately targeting and ablating prostate tumors.
The technology provides urologists with real-time ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance imaging and 3D-visualized biopsy data while navigating the cancerous tumor, according to a July 10 press release from Cottage Health.
The combination of these technologies allows for precise targeting and removal of the cancerous area, enabling a smaller portion of the prostate to be ablated without making incisions. Removing a smaller portion of tissue minimizes the damage to the surrounding healthy tissue and the risk of negative side effects, according to the release.