Introduced by General Electric and Womens Center, Coimbatore, the therapeutic tool uses high intensity ultrasound waves to cure the condition in bloodless surgery

Procedure available only in two Hospitals in South Asia so far

Dubai, April 29, 2013

General Electric and Womens Center, Coimbatore, an exclusively women-focused healthcare centre in India today unveiled the availability of a breakthrough non-invasive therapeutic procedure to treat uterine fibroids / Adenomyosis in India for the people of UAE.

The procedure which is currently available in only two medical centres in South Asia uses high-intensity ultrasound waves to treat the condition in a bloodless surgery compared to the conventional highly invasive methods of Myomectomy or hysterectomy.

Addressing a press conference, Dr Mirudhubashini Govindarajan, Clinical Director, Womens Center, said: "The new procedure is revolutionary and has brought in a sea change in treating the common gynecological condition of uterine fibroids / Adenomyosis which is also one amongst the main reasons for infertility among women. A major advantage is that the treatment is non-invasive which means that there is no conventional surgery needed to treat the patient and the procedure will not need hospitalization and long recovery time as in the case of myomectomy or hysterectomy."

The treatment uses MR guided Focused Ultrasound Technology (MRgFUS), a device from General Electric (GE). The procedure is available only in two hospitals in the whole of South Asia.

 "Our intention is to bring to light the advantages of the therapeutic procedure to the women of the UAE so that those looking for advanced treatment for uterine fibroids /Adenomyosis may benefit from the new technology," Dr. Mirudhubashini Govindarajan said, adding that the procedure is being introduced for the first time and would benefit the people in UAE too.

She said Womens Center is in talks with various healthcare entities in the UAE and the region to introduce the benefits of the technology. Currently patients from the UAE will have to travel to India to avail the therapy.

The MRgFUS treatment is carried out as an outpatient treatment with no need for hospitalization and patients in most cases return to their normal daily life the very next day after the procedure.

"There are minimal risks in the procedure compared to a surgical procedure which may even cause loss of reproductive organs and consequently affect fertility," Dr. Mirudhubashini Govindarajan said.

The technology ablates uterine fibroid tissues without incision and not even a drop of blood is lost, she said. MRgFUS or Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound Therapy offers ultrasound treatment using MR 3d Visualization with minimal discomfort and trauma in a single session of two to three hours.

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About General Electric
General Electric and MediTech Advisors. Founded in 1999 , presents ExAblate to transform MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) into a clinically viable technology. ExAblate has won several awards for innovation and its potential to help mankind including The Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards and the European Union's IST grand prize. TIME magazine recently named Focused Ultrasound as "one of 50 best inventions".  For more information please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov/

About Womens Center, Coimbatore
Womens Center has been providing the most comprehensive women's healthcare needs solution for the last 30 years. This unit and its back up facilities represent one of the best set up centers in South India. It deals with the entire spectrum of women's healthcare needs "Including fertility services and all hysteroscopy and laparoscopic", catering to women in the south indin states of Tamilnadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Womens Center is one amongst the 10 centres identified by GE worldwide.

© Press Release 2013