Frequently Asked Questions
Get all the answers you need about histotripsy in one convenient location. From what to expect before, during, and after your procedure to details about recovery, eligibility, and other commonly asked questions, we have you covered.
Read on to feel confident and informed to take the next steps in your health journey.
Whether or not you need to stay overnight in the hospital after the procedure depends on several factors, including whether you are experiencing any pain and how you feel overall. Most patients go home the same or next day.
The doctor will decide based on your individual situation.
Yes. Currently, there are no contraindications to receiving other treatments after histotripsy. Histotripsy has been used before, after or in combination with other therapies. The decision to incorporate histotripsy and the potential impact on future clinical decisions should be discussed with your physician.
If you are eligible to be treated with histotripsy, you will be scheduled for an outpatient ultrasound screening evaluation of your liver before the actual histotripsy treatment.
This evaluation is done to make sure that your liver tumor(s) can be accurately targeted and safely treated with histotripsy. If this evaluation confirms that your tumor(s) can be treated with histotripsy, you will be scheduled for treatment.
- Depending on where your tumor is and the results of the ultrasound pre-screen, you may be asked to follow a restricted diet for several days prior to your histotripsy treatment.
- On the day of your histotripsy treatment, you will be asked to avoid food or drinks for 8 hours prior to treatment.
- On arrival, you will meet an anesthesiologist and nurse.
Medical imaging will likely be done following the procedure. Typically, you will get an MRI or CT scan, preferably with contrast, within 36 hours of your treatment. Then, one month after treatment, you will likely have a contrast enhanced CT or MRI scan to evaluate the treated tumor(s).
Most sites are using general anesthesia to perform the procedure. Histotripsy is a highly precise treatment; general anesthesia is primarily used to control patient movement and tumor motion during the procedure. Questions about anesthesia for the procedure should be discussed with your physician.
The active histotripsy time will vary depending on the size and location of your tumor. The full procedure time usually ranges from 1-3 hours but some could be longer depending on a variety of factors, including the number and size of tumors being treated.
Medicare should cover the procedure if it is reasonable and necessary. However, it will be necessary to have your selected histotripsy provider verify coverage with private insurance. Like other new technologies, treatment coverage and payment are still being established with the different insurance companies.
Patients with primary and metastatic liver tumors may be candidates for histotripsy. Consult your physician or use our doctor locator tool to find an experienced healthcare professional who offers histotripsy treatment near you and they can determine if histotripsy is an appropriate option for you.
The histotripsy procedure is typically performed under general anesthesia so you should not experience pain during the procedure.
You may feel some pain after treatment depending on the area treated, but there are no incision wounds, and many times you can return to normal activities quickly. You may also experience some muscular soreness, depending on how you are positioned for the procedure.
In our #HOPE4LIVER Trial, the most common adverse device effects were abdominal pain, procedural pain and fever.
Histotripsy is a noninvasive treatment that uses focused sound waves to precisely destroy tumors, such as those in the liver. In a few patients, doctors have seen that after one tumor is treated with histotripsy, other tumors in the body also seemed to shrink.
This observation has only been reported in a small number of patients, and we don’t yet know exactly why it happens. At this time, it’s not possible to predict which patients might experience this kind of response, if any.
HistoSonics is actively studying how histotripsy might interact with the immune system. Until more is known, patients should not expect histotripsy to cause an immune response or affect tumors that are not directly treated.
Histotripsy of liver tumors has been generally well-tolerated by patients. Histotripsy avoids certain complications associated with other liver tumor therapies such as surgical site infections and radiation sickness. However, all medical procedures involve risk. Patients should consult their physician for more information and to understand the risks and benefits of histotripsy of the liver. Histotripsy results in the destruction of liver tissue, including liver tumors, which may impact overall liver function. The most common side effects reported in clinical trials are procedural pain, abdominal pain and fever. In rare instances, patients have experienced minor skin injury not requiring further medical attention, as well as kidney and bleeding events which required further medical attention. Each patient experience will vary. Ensure your provider is aware of your complete medical history so they can properly assess if histotripsy is the right option for you.1-4
1 THERESA Trial, 2019. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03741088
2 #HOPE4LIVER US https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04572633
3 #HOPE4LIVER EU https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04573881
4 HistoSonics data on file
Discover if histotripsy is right for you.
To find out if you might be a candidate for histotripsy, please fill out the form below. If histotripsy might be right for you, you’ll be directed to our Doctor Locator tool to find a hospital offering histotripsy near you. You can also download an information packet.
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