SRMC is the 1st and only hospital in Nebraska to perform NanoKnife Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) procedure for prostate cancer!
Benefits of NanoKnife IRE
- Doctors treat otherwise inoperable tumors.
- Patients receive general anesthesia and experience little or no side effects.
- The treatment requires only a brief stay in the hospital, usually overnight.
- The procedure can be repeated if new tumors occur.
NanoKnife IRE is one of the newest techniques available for treating hard-to-reach soft tissue tumors and can effectively destroy targeted tissue without relying on thermal energy (heating or freezing). This process offers another option for patients who have cancerous prostate tumors near blood vessels, ducts, or nerves that may otherwise be damaged using different techniques.
NanoKnife IRE is a localized therapy that destroys a targeted area of tissue rather than a whole section. Electricity is applied through probes inserted through the skin while ultrasound or CT imaging helps the surgeon guide the placement of the probes precisely to the site of the tumor. Millisecond electrical pulses are then introduced to open the membranes in the cell walls within the tumor. This irreversible damage causes the cancer cells to die, while nearby nerves, ducts, and blood vessels remain unharmed.
What to expect during the procedure?
- Before the procedure begins, you will be sedated and remain sedated until the procedure is complete. Our urologist, Dr. Caldwell, will perform the procedure percutaneously: electrodes are placed through the skin, and the body does not have to be surgically opened.
- During the procedure, Dr. Caldwell will place the electrodes to bracket the targeted tissue. The number of electrodes used can range from 2 to 6, which will be determined beforehand by Dr. Caldwell.
- Once the electrodes are placed, the surgeon will initiate a series of electrical pulses. The voltage used and time of the procedure will be determined beforehand by Dr. Caldwell.
- After a sufficient number of pulses have been delivered to the targeted area, the procedure is complete, and the electrodes are removed.
- Because this procedure is considered to be minimally invasive, recovery time may be faster when compared to some other treatments, with some soreness from the needles themselves. There is little scarring because of the way IRE causes the cancer cells to open and die, taking advantage of your body’s natural healing ability.
References:
- University of Maryland Medical Center: https://www.umms.org/ummc/health-services/imaging/interventional-radiology/cancer/nanoknife
