Vituro Health partner practice Georgia Urology launches local HIFU program

ATLANTA, May 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The largest urology practice in the Southeast is treating prostate cancer patients with minimally invasive high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy at its Sandy Springs, Ga., location. Georgia Urology, a Vituro Health partner practice, officially launched their HIFU program in early May 2016.

"We want to catch prostate cancers early, because anytime we can do that, regardless of which treatment modality we select, we have a much better chance of success," said Vahan Kassabian, M.D., FACS, medical director at Georgia Urology. "The beauty of HIFU is that we can minimize the side effect profile of the treatment. While all prostate cancer treatments can affect urination and sexual issues, HIFU really minimizes those chances, especially with regard to sexual function."

Prior to the October 2015 FDA clearance of HIFU therapy, Kassabian had been treating patients with the technology for the past decade at Les Cours Medical Center in Montreal, Canada.

"I like to stay ahead of the curve. Being fellowship trained in urologic oncology, I'm well-versed in cancer surgery, but cancer surgery itself can have deleterious side effects for men," Kassabian said. "When I learned years ago that HIFU was being done overseas, I became very interested and pursued it."

On May 4, 2016, 69-year-old Lincolnton, Ga., resident Rollins Snider was the first patient of Kassabian's to be treated with HIFU in Georgia. Despite being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Snider says he feels blessed.

"It sounds weird, but I feel truly blessed to have had prostate cancer when HIFU is available to me. If I had it years ago it wouldn't have been an option," Snider said. "I liked that HIFU was noninvasive and the side effects were minimal because I had a brother who recently passed away from pancreatic cancer and I saw what chemotherapy and radiation did to him, and I was not going to go that route."

Snider says less than a week following his HIFU procedure, he already feels back to normal.

"I think my procedure went well. I rested after it and was not in any severe pain. Overall, I felt really good coming home; I was cognizant and able to send texts," Snider explained. "Since then, I've posted about it on Facebook and recommended it to others to make sure those I know are aware of HIFU."

"The demand for prostate cancer care is high in the southeast U.S.," said Clete Walker, CEO of Vituro Health. "With the launch of Georgia Urology's HIFU program, we are able to respond to that demand with an option that preserves quality of life for these men."

To learn more about Vituro Health's comprehensive prostate care, call: 866-4VITURO (848876).

About Vituro Health
Vituro Health empowers men with comprehensive prostate care during all stages of their lives. We arm partner physicians with HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound) technology and other patient-centric, concierge services to elevate the standard of care and patient experiences. Vituro Health serves patients nationwide and is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with partnering physicians in Birmingham, Sarasota, Fla., Jacksonville, Fla., and Atlanta who are carefully selected based on their depth of experience, expertise and dedication to achieving the highest levels of patient outcomes. For more information visit www.viturohealth.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Nicole Wyatt
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SOURCE Vituro Health