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SightLine Launches Noninvasive Uterine Fibroid Removal Procedure in Houston

Innovative MRgFUS facility performs first procedures with great success.

HOUSTON, October 11, 2005—SightLine Health of Houston, one of a very limited number of facilities performing MR-guided focused ultrasound ablation (MRgFUS) for uterine fibroids, successfully treated its first patients this week. MRgFUS is a new, state-of-the art, surgery-free treatment of uterine fibroids that uses ultrasound energy.

“The procedures are going incredibly well,” said TJ Farnsworth, the president and CEO of SightLine. “Unlike other MRgFUS facilities, which are generally staffed only by gynecologists or radiologists, we have a staff with decades of experience in diagnostic technologies and ultrasound as well as female health. That experience means each of our patients receives comfortable, efficient, and professional care.”

Fibroids are abnormal growths within the muscle of the uterus. While fibroids are benign, they often cause a number of uncomfortable or painful symptoms and can cause miscarriages or premature labor. Between 20 and 40 percent of women over the age of 35 have uterine fibroids, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“These initial patients have been women who have studied their treatment options and have decided that they feel most comfortable undergoing MRgFUS,” said Farnsworth. “Throughout their initial consultations with us, they have expressed their concerns about other methods and, after their procedures, have told us how pleased they were with the comfort and ease of it all.”

Many common treatments for uterine fibroids are accompanied by severe side effects, hospital stays, and long recovery times. MRgFUS is an outpatient procedure with virtually no side effects. During the procedure, the patient is placed in a MRI on a table outfitted with an ultrasound machine. A physician focuses the ultrasound waves on the fibroids and, as the ultrasound energy is applied to the fibroids, it heats and destroys the fibroid cells.

The procedure involves very little discomfort and SightLine’s patient coordinator is by the patient’s side the entire time. The patient also has constant communication with the physician performing the procedure.

“Our patients have told us that having our patient coordinator in the room with them and being able to talk with the physician at any time provided a great sense of security,” Farnsworth said. “That’s exactly what we want for our patients—we want them to have the most comfortable and reassuring experience possible. It’s great to know that we have succeeded.”

About SightLine:
Located in the heart of Houston, one of the country’s leading medical communities, SightLine’s sole specialization is MRgFUS treatment for uterine fibroids. SightLine is one of the few centers in the United States that use ExAblate technology, the only FDA-approved MRgFUS equipment. SightLine employs dedicated radiologists and gynecologists with decades of knowledge in female health and MRI technology that is not found in other MRgFUS facilities. For more information on the procedure and on SightLine, visit the company on the Web at www.sightlinehealth.com.

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