May 18, 2016

U-M Urologist plays key role in developing innovative surgery technique of 'surgery without knives or needles'

Histotripsy, a noninvasive therapy capable of generating ultrasonic pulse sequences powerful enough to break down tissue but gentle enough to leave the surrounding areas unharmed, was developed in part by U-M Urology's Dr. Will Roberts. The innovation is covered in the most recent edition of Medicine at Michigan Magazine.

The process creates tiny gas bubbles to emulsify, or liquify by creating tiny gas bubbles, the targeted areas of tissue. This allows surgery to take place with no incisions, improving recovery times. The process is known as cavitation.

“Cavitation is a threshold phenomenon,” says Roberts. “You have to reach a certain amount of energy before cavitation — before the bubbles cloud — can form.”

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