• Rectal wall monitoring helps determine the temperature of and proximity to the rectal wall. This helps the physician protect the rectal wall tissue during therapy.
  
  
• The active cooling system circulates chilled water through the probe during the procedure while monitoring temperature, which helps the physician protect the rectal wall tissue from heat generated during thermal ablation.
  
  
• Real-time imaging  allows the physician to view and compare the original image to the real-time image being treated, for visual ablation confirmation.
  
  
• MRI/US fusion integration software allows the physician to merge MRI images into the Sonablate planning software, fusing them with the real-time ultrasound images. The physician can then determine a more precise ablation plan based on the fusion of these two key datasets.
  
  
• TCM or Tissue Change Monitoring is a color display that (during tissue ablation) gives the physician enhanced feedback about the change in tissue at each point of HIFU delivery.
  

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) accepted the application for a HIFU C-code which went into effect on July 1st, 2017. 

The HCPCS code C9747, under the ambulatory payment classification (APC) 5376, is specific to the ablation of prostate tissue using transrectally delivered high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), and includes image guidance. It will be applicable to procedures performed using Sonablate®, including but not limited to primary whole gland ablation, sub-total ablation, and salvage ablation. This C-code is applicable to procedures performed in hospitals and ASC facilities under the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and may also be applied to claims from other providers in the future.

Please contact a HIFU physician in your area to learn more about reimbursement.