MRI-guided Focussed Ultrasound is the only trully non-invasive treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids.

It offers many advantages, including the following:

• Recovery time is 1-2 days
• Works by using high intensity focused ultrasound to cause thermal destruction of fibroid tumours through         coagulative necrosis
• No infective morbidity or post-procedural pain is associated with this treatment
• No instances of adhesions or ovarian failure have been reported
• Tissue damage is confined to the fibroid and does not affect the normal myometrium, the endometrium or the serosa
• MRgFUS is considered fertility-sparing, with a lower risk of hysterectomy than other procedures, and growing evidence of successful pregnancies
• NICE has stated that "Current evidence on the efficacy of MRgFUS… is adequate"
• ''…Evidence on safety is adequate to support the use of this procedure, provided that normal arrangements are in place for clinical governance and audit" (http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/11349/57237/57237.pdf)
• "…this procedure is safe enough and works well enough for use in the NHS."  (http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia  /live/11349/57234/57234.pdf)

In summary, this treatment:

• lleviates the painful and often life-debilitating symptoms of uterine fibroids, which include menstrual flooding
• is non-invasive, unlike all other alternatives, which are surgical
• is carried out in an outpatient setting
• recovery time is 1-2 days
• is funded on a case-by case basis by PCTs, routinely by Aviva, and regularly (on a case by case basis) by Bupa, and other insurers similarly

For more detail, please read this page.