Magnetic Resonance (MR) guided focused ultrasound (gFUS) is a relatively new minimally invasive technique that uses high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) guided by magnetic resonance (MR), also known as MRgFUS, to treat several diseases, such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, and particularly uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids (UFs), also known as leiomyomas, are non-cancerous tumors that grow in or around the uterus. They are the leading cause of hysterectomies, which are currently the most accepted treatment option. The aim of this research is to determine the effects of MRgFUS treatment on symptomatic uterine fibroids. The MRgFUS technology uses ultrasound and MRI simultaneously. The combination of these two modalities operates by using focused thermal ablation via ultrasound and MRI to precisely guide and target the lesions. In more detail, when ultrasound, or more specifically FUS, travels through the body, it results in molecular rearrangement leading to tissue heating, which causes thermal ablation. MR, moreover, has the ability to map the temperature elevation of the focal spot and surrounding tissues, resulting in superb precision and accurate monitoring of organ motion. Therefore, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging collaborate to enable safe and controlled non-invasive heat ablation for uterine fibroids. Future goals to possibly be explored with the connections of my findings is the use of this technology with larger size UF’s and women wanting to conceive. This research aims to provide a new minimally invasive approach that may offer an alternative treatment for women with uterine fibroids. Additionally, the research will facilitate the discovery of the advantages, limitations, and postoperative effects of the MRgFUS treatment.
