New Minimally Invasive Treatment for Uterine Fibroids Offers Life-Changing Relief, Without a Hysterectomy, to 1 Million Southern California Women

LOS ANGELES, April 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A groundbreaking new, minimally invasive outpatient treatment option for symptomatic uterine fibroids known as the Acessa™ procedure is now readily available to the estimated 1 million Southern California women aged 25-55 who suffer from this condition.

Bruce Lee, MD, FACOG, the inventor and world's leading practitioner of this safe, effective, Federal Drug Administration-approved alternative to hysterectomy and myomectomy, has helped establish two new Los Angeles-area medical centers dedicated exclusively to the life-changing treatment - the Center for Uterine Fibroid Treatment at Southern California Hospital at Culver City and Rox Fibroid Treatment Center at Roxbury Surgical Associates in Beverly Hills. Dr. Lee demonstrated the procedure on the April 20 episode of "The Doctors" TV show.

"Until now, for many women, the only treatment to relieve the pain, bleeding and emotional distress caused by uterine fibroids has been a hysterectomy or a myomectomy," said Dr. Lee. "The Acessa™ procedure offers another option that is not only safe and effective but also, because it is performed laparoscopically, allows for a more rapid recovery and return to normal activity, with less pain and less physical trauma."

The Acessa™ procedure uses radiofrequency energy to destroy fibroids inside the uterus. The surgeon performs the procedure (also known as radiofrequency ablation) through two very small incisions in the patient's abdomen, using laparoscopic ultrasound and a special instrument designed by Dr. Lee. Tiny needle-like wires at the end of the instrument transmit a low-energy electrical current directly into the fibroid. Heat generated in the fibroid spreads by conduction, destroying the fibroid.  The destroyed tissue is safely reabsorbed by the surrounding healthy tissue. Because the technology avoids cutting into the uterus, the normal uterine tissue is preserved and blood loss is very minimal. In clinical studies, the procedure has seen complication rates of less than 5 percent and fibroid recurrence rates of less than 5 percent per year.

"For many women whose lives have been disabled because of the pain and suffering caused by fibroids, this treatment truly is life-changing," said Dr. Lee. "I hear it from my patients all the time - 'I got my life back!'"

Uterine fibroids are a significant health problem that often goes untreated, in large part because of women's reluctance to undergo a hysterectomy. As many as 80 percent of all US women will have fibroids during their lifetime. For African-American women, the rate is slightly higher - 82-85 percent. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 844.223.7721 or go to fibroidtreatmentlosangeles.com.

ABOUT DR. LEE
Dr. Lee is a board-certified gynecologist with 29 years of clinical and research experience. He earned his medical degree at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. In 1999, while a practicing obstetrician/gynecologist in Monterey, Calif., Dr. Lee devised a new surgical procedure (now known as the Acessa™ procedure) to treat uterine fibroids. He was the first physician to successfully demonstrate the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of patients with symptomatic fibroids. With over 15 years' experience in using RFA, Dr. Lee is widely regarded as the foremost authority in the application of this technology to treat uterine fibroids. He has performed over 1,000 Acessa™ procedures and treated over 6,000 fibroids. In 2005, he co-founded Halt Medical, Inc. which was created to design, develop, and manufacture new instrumentation specifically for the Acessa™ procedure. While Chief Medical Officer, he worked with a dedicated team of engineers to design the Halt Fibroid Ablation System, oversaw phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials, designed and produced the Acessa™ teaching methodology and instruction materials, and authored multiple peer review articles. Since 2008, he has instructed physicians in the performance of Acessa™ in Canada, Germany, Mexico, Guatemala and in hospitals and universities in 13 US states, including five University of California medical schools.

ABOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOSPITAL AT CULVER CITY
Founded in 1924, Southern California Hospital at Culver City is a 420-bed general acute care hospital located in Culver City, Calif. Formerly known as Brotman Medical Center, SCH-CC is part of the Southern California Hospital System, which includes Southern California Hospital at Hollywood and Southern California Hospital at Van Nuys. With a combined bed capacity of over 570 beds, the three-hospital system represents the fourth-largest combined facility in the greater Los Angeles region. SCH-CC is accredited by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) Healthcare, Inc., a leading accreditor of US hospitals.

ABOUT ROXBURY SURGICAL ASSOCIATES
Led by Dr. Jay Calvert, MD, ROX Center encompasses experts from multiple different surgical specialties, including the ROX Fibroid Treatment Center. Their surgical training is both extensive and diverse, affording our surgical team the opportunity to care for patients with a wide spectrum of surgical problems. Each ROX plastic surgeon offers a unique perspective, with special knowledge of both common and rare issues within both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Our other ROX surgeon specialists are skilled at a wide variety of procedures, including breast oncology, melanoma management, hernia repair, advanced laparoscopy, gynecology, head and neck surgery, and more. Caring and compassionate, our surgeons and support staff will see you through every step of your process from initial consultation to complete post-operative recovery.

SOURCE Bruce Lee, MD