ResoFus Alomar Treatment for Essential Tremor and Parkinson's Disease
Resofus combines MR imaging and focused ultrasound into MR guided Focused Ultrasound technology, and provides a transcranial, non-invasive image-guided personalized treatment modality with no incisions and with no ionizing radiation.
This combination of continuous MR imaging and very highly focused acoustic sound waves provides the ability to provide pinpoint precision treatment at the planned target, without causing damage to any of the normal surrounding tissue. This precise local lesioning stops the improper transfer of electrical signals that induce the tremor, and it stops.
In the case of parkinson’s disease is not a cure, it just improves quality of life reducing and even stopping tremors.
Resofus may be used for treatment movement disorders such as Neuropathic pain, Parkinson’s disease and Essential Tremor.
Magnetic Resonance guided focused ultrasound.
During treatment the patient lies in the MRI scanner with a novel helmet-like, multi-channel high power phased array transducer, used to destroy targeted tissue. The patient is awake the entire time and interacts with the treatment team.
It is a unique, non-invasive treatment that gives patients a quick recovery and the possibility of returning to their daily life activities normally the day after the intervention.
Compared with radiofrequency or deep brain stimulation, focused ultrasounds offer reduced risk of postoperative infection, injury to unwanted areas and formation of thromboembolism.
Thanks to the fact that it is a technique guided by MRI, it gives safety and reduces the side effects from injury to structures that we do not want to damage.
Since the treatment is non-invasive, it can be performed as an outpatient procedure, meaning minimal hospitalization is needed. You can expect to resume normal activities within days.
Focused ultrasound offers a quick resolution of symptoms. The tremor disappears during the same treatment / intervention.
Unlike the treatment performed with stereotactic radiosurgery, the focused ultrasound does not use ionizing radiation, thus avoiding the side effects of radiation exposure.
¿What to expect during treatment?
1Patient preparation
2Planning
3Treatment
4Post-treatment
Treatment is done while lying in the MRI system. For cleaner and unimpeded treatment before entering, your head must be shaved and cleaned so that it is thoroughly sanitized. For your comfort you will be given local anesthesia and an immobilization frame will be placed to prevent head movements during treatment. The placement of this frame will be the most uncomfortable part of the treatment.
Heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen levels will be monitored at all times during treatment. Once your vital signs are controlled, it will be at that moment that you will be able to lie at the MRI table where and we will proceed to plan and perform the treatment. It may be needed to administer additional medication to make it more comfortable for you. You will be aware all time during the treatment, unlike other types of interventions, so you will be able to communicate with the doctor and nurses during treatment.
First you will lie on the MRI table (magnetic resonance) where you will be taken a series of images of the brain in order to carry out the planning of the treatment. The neurosurgeon will mark in the computer the point that must be treated with the highest precision that medical technology offers us at the moment. Initially you will be given low doses of focused ultrasound to be certain and sure that the marked point is correct.
During the procedure, you will be asked to perform specific tasks to verify that the location of the selected point is correct. These tasks may require you to touch your nose with your finger or draw spirals on a blackboard. Once the neurosurgeon has found the exact point the focused ultrasound will be used to perform a permanent injury.
Focused ultrasound will be applied directly to the selected point for about 10-40 seconds. This procedure is called "sonication". Doctors will monitor the effect of your tremor in real time and continue with additional sonications to verify that that point selected gives the best result.During treatment, inside the ultrasound helmet, cold water will circulate in order to avoid overheat the brain. You will also be provided with a "stop sonication" button to tell the neurosurgeon that you want to stop the treatment for any reason. When the neurosurgeon is sure of the treatment location, a final sonication will be applied to perform a definitive lesion. The entire treatment takes approximately from 3 to 4 hours.
After the treatment you will be moved to the recovery room for observation and the head attachment frame will be removed. A conventional cranial magnetic resonance imaging will be performed to validate the treatment and to verify that no side effects or collateral damage have been caused.
As a preventive measure you must spend one night in the hospital and the next day the neurosurgeon will visit you and if everything is correct you can go home. Follow-up visits will take place after one month and one year of treatment.
The results speak for themselves
Before
After
