[Bloodless prostate treatment using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)]

High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a technique whereby energy with resultant heat and tissue destruction can be delivered to a discreet distant site without injury to intervening tissue. 27 patients with bladder outlet obstruction and 5 men with loco-regional prostate cancer were treated by this method. At 3 months' follow-up a highly significant improvement of objective and subjective parameters could be demonstrated. No significant complications of this minimally invasive technique have been encountered. Moreover, our preliminary experience suggests that transrectal HIFU may control localized prostate cancer with minimal morbidity and that retreatment is possible at any time without toxicity to surrounding structures.