Preparing for Your Focused Ultrasound
You will meet with one of our care team nurses to prepare you for your focused ultrasound. Your nurse will perform the following steps before your surgery:
- Fully shave and clean your head
- Take your vitals, such as heart rate, blood pressure, etc.
- Give you a local numbing medication
- Place an IV (intravenous) tube in your arm for medications needed
- Insert a urinary catheter (long, thin, and flexible tube) that drains your bladder so you won’t have to go to the bathroom
Before the Procedure
Your neurosurgeon will place a frame on your head. This head frame attaches to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) table to keep you from moving during the procedure. Next, your neurosurgeon will place a helmet filled with cool water on your head. Cool water from your helmet will circulate around the top of your head. The cool water prevents your head from overheating by the ultrasound waves. We will give you a blanket to keep you warm in case you get cold.
You will be given a 'stop' button to hold during the procedure so you can pause the treatment at any time.
During Your Focused Ultrasound Procedure
You will lie on a bed that moves in and out of the MRI scanner. Your care team will perform the procedure from a computer in the room next to the MRI suite. Your neurosurgeon will monitor you with a camera. A nurse will monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels throughout the procedure.
Your neurosurgeon will take a series of MRI images to find the area that needs to be treated. They will send small doses of ultrasound energy to your brain to locate the correct spot.
You will be awake throughout the entire procedure so you can answer your surgeon’s questions. They will ask you to perform tasks like touching your nose with your finger or drawing circles on a board. These tasks will help your specialist confirm the accuracy of the target for the ultrasound waves.
Once your neurosurgeon is confident of the location, they will increase the ultrasound energy to permanently improve your tremor. The MRI also measures the increased temperature in your brain caused by the ultrasound energy. This allows it to precisely treat only the intended target.
The entire procedure lasts about 3–4 hours. Your procedure’s length depends on factors such as the density of your skull.
After Focused Ultrasound Treatment
We will remove the frame from your head after you come out of the MRI machine. We will then place you back into the MRI machine to scan your head for one final MRI image. You will then move to the recovery room for a half hour to two hours. You will be able to go home in the same day.
We will give you discharge instructions to follow before you leave the hospital. Usually nothing is required, although your doctor may recommend steroids.
Your neurosurgeon will let you know when you need to return for any follow-up visits. You will also be told whom to contact in case of an emergency after the procedure.
Refer a Patient for Focused Ultrasound
Referrals from your primary care provider or neurologist (preferred) are required to be evaluated for focused ultrasound treatment. All referrals must be faxed to 801-585-6087. Contact our nurse coordinator at 801-213-0977 for questions about the referral process, evaluation appointments, or procedure.
