HIFU prostate cancer treatment coming to Alabama patients as Urology Centers of Alabama partners with Vituro Health


BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Patients in Alabama seeking prostate care with minimally invasive high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy no longer have to travel out of state. Vituro Health is pleased to announce its partnership with Urology Centers of Alabama to provide a total prostate management program which includes the newly FDA-cleared procedure for qualifying patients.

"Urology Centers of Alabama is known throughout the state for their expertise in the treatment of prostate cancer using many different modalities. They are the largest and one of the most well-respected practices in Alabama and they draw patients from all over the Southeast," said Clete Walker, CEO of Vituro Health. "Vituro is proud to partner with them to bring local patients precision prostate care with leading edge diagnostics and treatments."

HIFU therapy offers a reduced side-effect profile that preserves quality of life. Previously, patients who were qualified candidates for HIFU had to travel overseas, until the technology received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2015. Shortly after, patients were able to travel to Vituro Health Sarasota in Florida.

"As a regional leader in the treatment of prostate cancer, we want to ensure that Urology Centers of Alabama is on the leading edge of all therapies that may offer our patients an advantage in treating their cancer," said Mark DeGuenther, M.D., president of Urology Centers of Alabama. "In the right patients, HIFU offers an excellent alternative to doing nothing or doing a procedure that has a great deal of potential morbidities or complications."

DeGuenther says partnering with Vituro made sense for several reasons.

"We want to make sure we're aligned with an organization that has the patients' best interests at heart instead of the bottom line of the company, and Vituro is like that," DeGuenther said. "We liked the whole package Vituro offers because it combines excellent customer service, patient education and an ongoing commitment to excellence, not only in this particular technology, but in future technologies, and we found that very attractive as a combination."

Two Urology Centers of Alabama physicians, Bryant Poole, M.D., and Andrew Strang, M.D., will be guided through the extensive training protocol required to master HIFU procedures by Vituro Health Medical Director Stephen Scionti, M.D.

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