International patients
The treatment includes the airport-hospital-airport transfers and up to a two-night stay at the Holiday Inn hotel, that is located within our facilities.
Refer to our International patients section
Make an appointment
International long distance:
Call (52 55) 5171 6440.
Or visit our Contact section
and we will call you.
Patient Story
I was laid down on a comfortable bed, just like a waterbed, with my head outside the machine.
My husband was with me and I was able to speak to him all the time. The only inconvenience was during those few seconds when the machine focused the ultrasound; I felt cramps as if I was in my period.
However, they disappeared as soon as the machine stopped focusing the ultrasound. Mostly, I felt a mild feeling of warmth. So I can say the experience was practically painless.
When the procedure was over, I felt as if nothing had happened to me.
It seemed to me a much better option than having my abdomen cut open, and having to spend weeks of recovery at home.
Another very important advantage was that I could preserve my uterus, because in the future my husband and I wish our family to grow.
I recommend ExAblate as the first and best option to every woman who is in my situation.
The ExAblate Procedure
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Can I get pregnant after the treatment?
Yes. Our experience demonstrates that it is possible for a patient to get pregnant after the treatment of fibroids with ExAblate.
Furthermore, if fibroids are the main cause of infertility, international studies prove that pregnancy may be possible in the near future after they have been ablated.
May I undergo this treatment if I am pregnant?
No. One of the criteria used to select patients who will be treated with ExAblate is that they must not be pregnant. This is of course ensured before the procedure.
Am I eligible for the ExAblate treatment?
Some patients might not be eligible to receive this treatment. This will be determined by a pelvic magnetic resonance study, which allows physicians to evaluate its feasibility for the patient. In order to determine her eligibility, the patient must undergo a 2-phase procedure:
First phase: diagnosing fibroids with lower abdomen/pelvic magnetic resonance imaging
This determines accurately if a patient has fibroids; if they are present, this magnetic resonance study determines their size, shape, location, number, and consistency. The results shown will determine if a patient is eligible for the ExAblate treatment. If she is a candidate, this study is also used to plan the entire ExAblate treatment procedure.
Through the study conducted in this stage other pathologies can also be diagnosed, because all pelvic structures –such as the uterus, the ovaries, bladder, sigmoid colon, iliac, sacrum and coccyx bones– are evaluated as well.
Second phase: magnetic resonance using a contrast agent
Only those patients eligible for ExAblate must undergo this study, which intends to determine the biological and vascular activity of the fibroids.
During this phase, responsible female doctors will have a medical talk with you to explain to you their final diagnosis and to consent with you all the ExAblate treatment details.
Who must NOT be treated with ExAblate?
Not all patients are eligible to receive this treatment. The following patients are excluded:
- Pregnant women.
- Patients with pedunculated fibroids or with fibroids close to important organs such as the spine and the bowel.
- Patients with fibroids located in inaccessible places for the ExAblate device.
- Patients whose magnetic resonance studies indicate that the ExAblate treatment must not be performed.
- Patients with metallic implants or cardiac pacemakers.
- Patients with a body weight surpassing the 100 kilograms (220 pounds).
- Patients with an extraordinarily large uterus.
- Patients who have had liposuction in the lower abdomen.
If you want to learn more about your personal eligibility, please request a diagnosis. At Magnetic Resonance Médica Sur, we will help you determine whether you are eligible for treatment or not, based upon the results of your pelvic magnetic resonance studies. Call us: please refer to our telephone numbers in our Contact section.
What does a patient feel?
Patients can feel tolerable sensations: heat in their abdominal section, cramps, and occasionally, leg numbness due to the prolonged lying posture they keep throughout the entire duration of the procedure.
After the treatment some patients may feel mild abdominal pain, cramps, or nausea, all of which can be treated with common medication.
What are the risks and complications associated with ExAblate?
Immediate risks:
- Mild bleeding during or after the procedure.
- Abdominal pain or cramps.
- Nausea.
- Fever (occasionally).
- Allergic reaction to the contrast agent used in the Magnetic Resonance (very rare; the contrast agent we employ is gadolinium, which, unlike iodine, is allergy-free for most patients).
- Minor skin burns.
- Back or leg pain (from posture) that may persist for some days.
- Mild urinary tract infection.
Possible risks in no longer than 14 days after the procedure:
- Abdominal skin burns with ulcers (rare).
- Temporary nerve inflammation in the pelvic area.
Unusual potential risks:
- New fibroids may continue to grow in the future, causing the same symptoms, but not in the same place.
- There is the slight possibility that the treatment turns out to be unsuccessful; therefore, a new treatment is subsequently needed.
- Until mid-2008, over 3,500 ExAblate procedures had been performed around the world. Although none of these treatments have reported any evidence of major side effects, there is in theory a potential possibility of risks such as gynecological infection, injury of organs near the uterus, or blood clots.
How does the cost-benefit ratio compare for the ExAblate patient with other methods used to treat fibroids?
A study carried out in March 2008 tracked hundreds of cases of women –over a period of several months– who underwent hysterectomy, myomectomy, uterine artery selective embolization and ExAblate, showing that ExAblate was cheaper and that it provided a better quality of life. To know more about the details of this study, you can consult the following article: