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Irreversible Electroporation (NanoKnife)
The NanoKnife procedure is an outpatient procedure, providing a fast recovery time and allowing men to quickly return to their normal activities.
The Miriam Hospital is one of the few institutions in the northeast offering the NanoKnife procedure.
How Does NanoKnife Surgery Work?
Irreversible electroporation (IRE), also known as NanoKnife, is a minimally invasive, ablation therapy for prostate cancer that destroys targeted cancerous cells while preserving healthy, non-cancerous areas. NanoKnife may be used to treat an initial diagnosis of prostate cancer, or for cancer that recurs after radiation therapy.
Unlike other ablation treatments that use thermal energy, such as extreme cooling (cryotherapy) or heating (microwave ablation, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), focal laser ablation and radiofrequency ablation), NanoKnife utilizes an electrical current to destroy prostate cancer cells. Ultrasound guidance is employed to precisely target a prostate cancer lesion which aids in reducing injury to surrounding areas.
Patients are sedated throughout the procedure while electrodes provide short electrical pulses that cause cancer cells to die.
New Procedure Kills Cancer Cells
A new approach to localized therapy for prostate cancer is here. The NanoKnife System is a device that can be used in areas of the body located near vital structures, including major blood vessels, nerves, and bile ducts, without causing permanent damage. (Image courtesy of AngioDynamics, Inc. and its affiliates.)
Precise Treatment for Prostate Cancer
With the NanoKnife System, doctors can sculpt and control the ablation zone through a variety of electrode configurations. The procedure effectively destroys the targeted tissue, without thermal energy, and gives patients precise treatment margins resulting in confident treatment coverage for the procedure. (Image courtesy of AngioDynamics, Inc. and its affiliates.)