Maple Grove. Minn.-based Francis Medical has announced that Aaron Milbank, MD, performed the first commercial procedure in the Midwest using its Vanquish Water Vapor Ablation System at High Pointe Surgery Center in Lake Elmo, Minn.
According to an April 21 press release, Dr. Milbank, of Minnesota Urology, completed the procedure at High Pointe Surgery Center in Lake Elmo, Minn., on a patient with localized prostate cancer. He previously participated in the VAPOR 2 pivotal study, contributing to multiple patients.
The Vanquish system is a transurethral, ultrasound- and electromagnetically guided thermotherapy platform designed to ablate targeted prostate tissue using water vapor energy. The system received FDA 510(k) clearance in November 2025.
In the ongoing VAPOR 2 study, 91% of eligible patients showed clearance of MRI-visible clinically significant disease following a single procedure. Francis Medical said the procedure had no device-related serious adverse events and low rates of urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
The company said the milestone reflects a transition from clinical investigation to commercial adoption as it continues to collect long-term data to support a premarket approval submission. The Vanquish Water Vapor Ablation System has been cleared as a tool for the thermal ablation of targeted prostate tissue via a transurethral approach. The FDA has not evaluated the Vanquish System for the treatment of any disease, including prostate cancer, or evaluated the Vanquish System for any long-term prostate cancer treatment outcomes.
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