What to Expect with HIFU

The Prostate Cancer Doctor You Can Count On

With North Florida Urology Associates, you can count on the expertise of our trusted prostate cancer doctor. From our centers in Ocala and the Villages, Dr. Narayan helps patients through the entire HIFU treatment process. If you are from out of town, we give you a discount because we understand you have to fly down to Florida to get the procedure done. Since the process is outpatient, the patient will have to come in the day before, get the pre-operative preparation, which consists of some antibiotics and an enema, and preferably a face to face meeting with Dr. Narayan.

One of our staff picks you up in the morning and takes you to the surgery center. After the procedure, we bring you back to your hotel. You will go home with a catheter for a few days. Dr. Narayan or one of his staff will follow up with you before the catheter is removed or for any questions. Both the doctor and our team are available to answer any questions or concerns during this time. If you have your own urologist who is working with us, we will instruct him on catheter removal and follow-up.

To find out if you are a candidate for the procedure call (352) 456-7911.

The Right Option for Your Health

Many patients who call us have incomplete data for accurate treatment of prostate cancer. Our goal is to preserve sexual function and continence while ensuring highest cure possible for prostate cancer. While we follow guidelines with regards to active surveillance for low grade, low volume cancers, we also have noted that more than 50% of patients who are on active surveillance end up on treatment because of cancer progression, refusal to be on active surveillance, anxiety issues, and living with a burden of cancer. Men also face challenges like the need for repeat biopsies and follow-up tests required while on an active surveillance program.

The American Society for Clinical Oncology recommends that men be warned of the need for more extensive treatment of cancer progress while on active surveillance. We see patients who have unilateral low-risk cancer change to bi-lateral higher-risk cancer within one year of active surveillance. Despite the plethora of tests available, there is still a significant gap in our understanding of which cancers will progress and which ones are safe to watch. The only reason active surveillance has become popular is that there was no comparable treatment to HIFU available until now.

Many urologists advise that prostate cancers are multifocal, and therefore not eligible for HIFU. Dr. Narayan and Dr. Onik published the first paper on male lumpectomy, which has since been repeated many times worldwide, and there is promising data on several thousand patients that hemi-therapy and partial-therapy can cure prostate cancer. If monitoring is your only plan at the moment, consider HIFU as an alternative. In prostate cancer, there is more than one right answer for management, and we can help you find the right option to suit your needs.