UPMC Now Offering Robotic Focal High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)
February 27, 2026
UPMC is now offering Robotic Focal High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for patients with prostate cancer. In November 2025, Dr. Benjamin Davies performed the health system’s first HIFU procedure using the FocalOne® platform. This advanced therapy targets only the specific area of the prostate where the tumor is found leaving a healthy portion of the prostate intact.
During the procedure, patients receive general anesthesia before a rectal probe is positioned near the prostate. The system captures detailed images of the gland, which guide clinicians as they direct the robotic device to deliver ultrasound energy that destroys the tumor.
The treatment is performed on an outpatient basis, typically lasts only a few hours, and involves minimal recovery time.
Evidence supporting high intensity focused ultrasound continues to grow. A 2022 clinical trial published in Lancet Oncology reported that nearly 90% of men treated with the technology had no remaining medium or high risk cancer in the prostate after two years.
Importantly, the study found no cases of incontinence and only a small number of men experienced impotence—side effects that are more common after radiation therapy or surgical removal of the prostate.
