Kidney-tumor patients have an innovative new treatment option, first performed recently by a surgical team at AdventHealth Celebration. 

The procedure, known as histotripsy, targets and destroys tumors using sound beams, noninvasively and without the need for needles or incisions. It was performed by urologist Michael McDonald, M.D., a leader and pioneer in advanced urologic procedures, including robotics, at AdventHealth Celebration. The hospital is internationally recognized as a hub for robotic-assisted surgery, treating patients and training surgeons from around the world in the latest techniques and technologies. 

“At the start of my surgical career in the 1990s, open surgical techniques were the primary method of medical operations. However, this quickly changed with the introduction of laparoscopic surgery in the late 1990s and robotic surgery in the early 2000s,” McDonald said. “And the field continues to evolve. I’m excited about the potential of emerging technologies such as histotripsy to improve patient safety and outcomes.”

The procedure was conducted under the auspices of the AdventHealth Research Institute, where physicians and researchers are currently conducting more than 650 studies and clinical trials. The technology, which is FDA-approved for use against liver tumors, is being investigated for use against kidney tumors as part of the #HOPE4KIDNEY Trial, a multi-center trial that is expected to enroll up to 68 patients. 

“We are excited to play a part in studying this pioneering technology,” said Rob Herzog, vice president of AdventHealth’s research operations. “The AdventHealth Research Institute is dedicated to providing our community access to leading-edge therapies like this by bringing clinical trials to Central Florida.”

Current kidney therapies such as partial nephrectomy and thermal ablation are invasive and exhibit complications, such as bleeding and infection, that non-invasive histotripsy may avoid. While surgical intervention is the “gold standard” in removing kidney tumors, histotripsy offers the potential to destroy targeted tumors without damaging surrounding kidney tissue. 

The procedure uses the Edison system, a sonic beam therapy platform created by HistoSonics.

“We are extremely excited to have Dr. McDonald and his team at AdventHealth Celebration treat the first patient as part of the #HOPE4KIDNEY Trial,” said HistoSonics president and CEO Mike Blue. “Our goal is to enable physicians to precisely target and destroy kidney tumors with our novel, noninvasive solution, avoiding the morbidity and complications seen with current invasive surgery or ablative techniques.”