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High-intensity focused US: a potential new treatment for GI bleeding
Joo Ha Hwang1, Shahram Vaezy, Roy W Martin
1Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-6424, USA.
Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
|July 3, 2003
Summary
High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) effectively stops bleeding in damaged veins. This endoscopic treatment shows promise for gastrointestinal bleeding, leading to vessel occlusion and scar tissue formation.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Surgical Technology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has demonstrated efficacy in achieving hemostasis in lacerated arteries and veins.
- HIFU is being explored as a potential endoscopic therapeutic modality for gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) as an endoscopic treatment for acute venous bleeding.
- To assess the histological outcomes following HIFU treatment in a rabbit auricular vein model.
Main Methods:
- Rabbit auricular veins were longitudinally lacerated and treated with a 3.9 MHz HIFU transducer (750 W/cm(2) focal intensity) until hemostasis was achieved in 15 animals.
- Sham treatments were performed on 3 control vessels.
- Histological evaluation was conducted on days 0, 2, 7, 14, and 28 post-treatment.
Main Results:
- Complete hemostasis was achieved in all HIFU-treated vessels, with a mean treatment time of 13 seconds.
- No hemostasis was observed in the sham-treated vessels.
- Histological examination revealed acute thermal injury, thrombus formation, chronic inflammation, and eventual replacement of the vessel by fibrous scar tissue.
Conclusions:
- High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is effective in achieving hemostasis in acutely bleeding veins.
- HIFU treatment leads to the occlusion of the treated vessel, followed by granulation tissue formation and scarring.
Keywords:
Non-programmatic