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«Thanks to ultrasound waves and radio frequency energy, fibroids can now be shrunk. This procedure is very gentle and does not require a scalpel.»
Dr Anzhela Albrecht, Senior Physician, Bethesda Hospital
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27. January 2022
New, incisionless surgical procedure for fibroids in the uterus
(shutterstock.com)
Bethesda Hospital has been offering the Sonata method for the treatment of fibroids since the beginning of 2022. Sonata treatment is a new, incisionless surgical option for treating fibroids. Bethesda Hospital is the only clinic in north-west Switzerland to use this extremely gentle method. In our interview, Bethesda head physician Dr Hansjörg Huemer and senior physician Anzhela Albrecht explain which patients can benefit from it and how this extremely gentle surgical technique works.
Are you between the ages of 35 and 50 and often have abdominal pain, menstrual irregularities, anaemia or an unfulfilled desire to have children? Then perhaps fibroids could be causing these typical symptoms. Myomas are benign lumps in the uterine muscles and are one of the most common gynaecological diseases in women of childbearing age.
Why is the Sonata treatment a breakthrough?
The Sonata treatment can be used to treat a wide range of fibroids, fibroid sizes and fibroid sites - without a single incision.
How often do women with fibroids come to the consultation at Bethesda and what is their level of suffering?
We see women with fibroids in consultation every day. Many patients have no symptoms and do not need to undergo any treatment. Patients with fibroids that cause symptoms often experience a very high level of distress.
Which women can benefit from the operation?
Patients who benefit most from treatment with the Sonata system are those whose fibroids are firmly attached to the uterine wall and are not connected to the uterus via a stalk. Patients who have several fibroids also benefit. Women for whom an operation by laparoscopy and abdominal incision is associated with an increased surgical risk, e.g. patients with obesity, several abdominal operations or an increased tendency to bleed, have a particularly great advantage. The therapy is also good for working patients, as they can return to work very quickly.
Dr Anzhela Albrecht, Senior Physician, Bethesda Hospital
How does the new surgical technique, the so-called Sonata® procedure, actually work? What advantages does it have compared to previous techniques?
A special ultrasound device is inserted into the uterus through the vagina. This device detects the fibroids with its ultrasound waves. Radiofrequency energy delivered to the fibroids then causes them to shrink and the symptoms are reduced or disappear completely.
The great advantage of this treatment is that a wide range of fibroids can be treated, regardless of their size and location. No incisions - neither on the uterus nor in the abdominal area - are necessary. The uterus also remains intact.
Incidentally, the operation is usually performed as an inpatient procedure and is covered by health insurance.