MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MR-gFUS)

UVA is home to the world’s first fully dedicated focused ultrasound facility.

Also known as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), MR-gFUS is a noninvasive surgical procedure that can be used to destroy tissue at precisely targeted locations inside the body. While this technology is still in the early stages of many clinical applications, UVA is already using MR-gFUS to treat patients with uterine fibroids. In the future, this technology could become the preferred surgical intervention for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor, and replace radiation treatment or surgical resection for many forms of cancer and other invasive growths.

UVA researchers are also investigating other innovative potential applications of this technology such as targeted drug delivery—using focused ultrasound to release drugs from circulating microbubbles at the exact area where needed.