MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound

Advanced treatment for tremors

Boulder Community Health’s Foothills Hospital is the only medical facility in Colorado and the surrounding multi-state region performing a revolutionary treatment for essential tremor -- MR-guided focused ultrasound treatment.

Focused ultrasound is a safe, incisionless and non-invasive treatment that uses radiofrequency—focused beams of acoustic energy—to heat and destroy a small, targeted area of tissue in the brain where tremor cells are located without harming adjacent tissues. The focused ultrasound leads to precise destruction of the cells, thereby eliminating your tremors.

For more information about MR-guided focused ultrasound for tremor treatment, please call (800) 720-0692 or email BCHTremorTreatment@insightec.com.

Understanding the Procedure

exablate neuro mr-Guided focused-ultrasound boulder community health Ultrasound is a form of energy that can pass through skin, muscle and bone without the need for incisions. When ultrasound energy is tightly focused, it can destroy tissue by rapidly heating it. This carefully-planned procedure focuses ultrasound waves on a small spot in the brain considered to be responsible for causing tremors. There is no damage to surrounding tissue and no exposure to radiation).

The nonsurgical procedure is performed while you are awake inside an MRI scanner. The scanner allows the physician to precisely plan the procedure and treat only the intended area.

Patients who have undergone this procedure have shown an immediate and significant reduction in tremor, resulting in improvement in performing daily activities such as eating, drinking and writing.

MR-guided focused ultrasound treatments are covered by most health insurance plans, including Medicare. Contact your insurance carrier to confirm coverage.

Conditions that can be treated

Essential tremor (ET). ET is a neurological condition that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking of almost any part of the body. It most commonly affects the hands, but can also affect the head, voice, legs and torso. ET typically worsens over time and can make simple everyday tasks difficult, such as drinking from a glass or tying shoelaces.

Often confused with Parkinson’s disease, ET is eight times more common, affecting an estimated 10 million people in the US.

Symptoms of ET generally:

Begin gradually, usually more prominently on one side of the body
Worsen with movement
Occur in the hands first, affecting one hand or both hands
Can include a "yes-yes" or "no-no" motion of the head
May be aggravated by emotional stress, fatigue, caffeine or temperature extremes

Benefits of MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound Treatment

Incisionless Treatment: No general anesthesia required; minimal to no risk of infection; performed on outpatient basis in a single treatment
Tremor improvement: Immediate improvement following the procedure; improved quality of life
Safe & Effective: Reduced risk of infection and damage to the non-targeted areas of the brain; ultrasound energy does not expose patients to radiation
Rapid Recovery: Quick recovery; patients return to daily activities within a day of the procedure

Meet Dr. Beasley

Dr. Kara Beasley is an experienced and board-certified neurosurgeon who is also a credentialed bioethicist. Her extensive medical education includes a fellowship in functional and restorative neurosurgery at the renowned Cleveland Clinic. She has extensive expertise in treating Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor and epilepsy. She is fully trained as a general neurosurgeon in cranial and spinal trauma, endoscopic and open tumor surgery, radiosurgery, complex disorders of the spine including tumor and degenerative spinal disease, epilepsy surgery and neuromodulation.