Chongqing - 41 Chinese and overseas HIFU centers joined together and completed the world’s first live broadcast of HIFU treatments coordinated by the Telemedicine Big Data Center.
On March 8, themed on “Connecting the World with Love and Preserving the Womb Despite COVID-19”, IWD-HIFU, a multi-center HIFU treatment event, was initiated in Chongqing, China to celebrate the International Women’s Day. 41 Chinese and overseas HIFU centers performed and broadcasted live HIFU surgeries by connecting to the Haifu® Telemedicine Big Data Center headquartered in Chongqing.
The world’s first live broadcast of HIFU treatments coordinated by the Telemedicine Big Data Center was initiated in Chongqing on 8 March.
High-intensity Focused Ultrasound(HIFU) ablation or Focused Ultrasound Ablative Surgery(FUAS) is a noninvasive therapeutic technology that concentrates the extracorporeal low-intensity ultrasound beams onto the targeted diseased tissue inside the body, resulting in an instant temperature rise at the focal point up to 60℃ to 100℃ and induction of the irreversible coagulative necrosis without damaging the surrounding healthy tissues. This technology can realize the treatment of diseases without open-cutting operations and bleeding and, at the same time, preserve the structure and function of the tissues and organs.
At the time of the COVID-19 outbreak, this contact-free therapeutic technology enables the doctor to complete the treatment without direct physical contact with the patient, lowering the risk of intraoperative cross-infection.
The world’s first live broadcast of HIFU treatments coordinated by the Telemedicine Big Data Center was initiated in Chongqing on 8 March.
IWD-HIFU was initiated jointly by the International Society of Minimally Invasive and Virtual Surgery and National Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Medicine of China. 41 Chinese and overseas hospitals joined this charitable event, including Farrer Park Hospital from Singapore, San-an Hospital and Pojen General Hospital from Taiwan, China, the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Suining Central Hospital, Suining Municipal Hospital of TCM, and Chongqing Haifu Hospital from the mainland of China. It is estimated that IWD-HIFU of this year will benefit 1000 patients.
Before HIFU surgery, the HIFU experts team supervised the participating HIFU centers to determine the individualized clinical protocol for each patient. During HIFU surgery, the operating doctor at each participating center treated the uterine fibroid by just clicking the mouse on the central console to control the ultrasound emission. In the meanwhile, the patients, lying in a prone position on the treatment bed, experienced the treatment consciously. During treatment, they could communicate with the doctors at times or listen to music or watch TV.
The HIFU surgeries at more than 41 HIFU centers were coordinated, conducted, and broadcasted live concurrently through the connection with the Telemedicine Big Data Center of Chongqing Haifu Medical. During the HIFU surgery, the operating doctor could get the screen-to-screen telemedicine assistance and support.
“This is the world’s first live broadcast of simultaneous and collaborative HIFU surgeries in multiple HIFU centers,” said Prof. Wang Zhibiao, director of the National Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Medicine. “By deploying the method of digitization and big data analysis, Haifu® Telemedicine Big Data Center provides a platform for the worldwide doctors to share their clinical experience and collaborate to perform FUAS. This will help global HIFU centers to reduce the complication rate of HIFU surgery and improve treatment safety and effectiveness.”
Prof. Wang Zhibiao, director of the National Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Medicine.
From 2016 to 2019, Haifu® Telemedicine Big Data Center has been connected to the treatment of 32,236 cases, among which 10,204 cases have been completed through providing on-line clinical support to the end-users. Among these cases, 57% are uterine fibroid, 26% are uterine adenomyosis, and 17% are other diseases. To date, more than 100 Haifu® HIFU centers of 27 countries and regions, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Singapore, etc. are connected to Haifu® Telemedicine Big Data Center.
Besides, this philanthropic event was initiated with a series of activities for “Preserving the Womb” and will be continued on every International Women’s Day(8 March) to benefit them financially or physically challenged patients who suffer from uterine diseases from the noninvasive HIFU therapy.