Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital Now Offers Acessa® ProVu System for Minimally Invasive Treatment of Fibroids
TEMPE – Every year, approximately 540,000 hysterectomies are performed for non-cancerous conditions, including uterine fibroids.1. Now, Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital is one of the first in the Valley to offer the Acessa ProVu® system, a safe and effective minimally invasive alternative treatment for women with symptomatic fibroids who would otherwise require a hysterectomy, laparoscopic myomectomy, or uterine fibroid embolization. 2,3 The potential patient benefits include returning home from the hospital on the same day as the procedure, lower interoperative blood loss compared to hysterectomy and myomectomy, and quick recovery time as patients typically return to work within 4-5 days. 2,3
“We are excited to be one of the first in the Phoenix Metro Area to offer the Acessa ProVu system,” says Brent Cope, FACHE, President/CEO of Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital. “This is a much-needed procedure that will provide the women in our community suffering from fibroids with more options that fit their needs and lifestyle and can help restore their quality of life.”
The Acessa Laparoscopic Radiofrequency Ablation (Lap-RFA) is the first and only system to utilize radiofrequency ablation, laparoscopic ultrasound, and guidance mapping to treat women suffering from uterine fibroids. In addition to the patient benefits listed above, the Acessa procedure’s laparoscopic ultrasound and guidance mapping also allows the surgeon to visualize and treat more fibroids. In clinical studies, the Acessa system’s laparoscopic ultrasound can locate 1.5-2x more fibroids than MRI or transvaginal ultrasound.2 This allows for patients to receive treatment for fibroids that may have previously been undetected.
Stephine Kramer, MD, a MIGS trained OBGYN at Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital, completed training on the Acessa procedure earlier this year. She is only the second surgeon in the Valley to perform this highly effective, minimally invasive procedure. Dr. Kramer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has been caring for women in the East Valley since she moved here in 2004. She is now part of the Steward Medical Group Women’s Health Associates, which has an office located on the Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital campus.
“Many patients come to me suffering silently from uterine fibroids, unable to complete normal daily activities due to their symptoms,” says Dr. Kramer. “Now, with the Acessa Procedure, we are able to offer women a minimally invasive option with the same or better outcomes than the major surgical approaches of myomectomy or hysterectomy. And the recovery time is cut from six to eight weeks to four or five days.”
Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital aims to deliver stronger, smarter, and more accessible care to women than any other medical system across the Phoenix area.
For more information about Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital, please visit https://www.tempestlukeshospital.org.
About Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital
Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital is a 74-bed, full-service hospital that has been caring for families and residents in the community since 1944. Located in the heart of Tempe, the hospital is centrally located and offers a full range of high-quality services to serve our diverse and dynamic community. Our team is committed to providing excellent care in a friendly community hospital environment. Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital is accredited by DNV Healthcare, a worldwide leader in quality management.
About Steward Health Care System
Nearly a decade ago, Steward Health Care System emerged as a different kind of health care company designed to usher in a new era of wellness. One that provides our patients better, more proactive care at a sustainable cost, our providers unrivaled coordination of care, and our communities greater prosperity and stability.
As the country’s largest physician-led, tax paying, integrated health care system, our doctors can be certain that we share their interests and those of their patients. Together we are on a mission to revolutionize the way health care is delivered - creating healthier lives, thriving communities and a better world.
Steward is among the nation’s largest and most successful accountable care organizations (ACO), with more than 5,500 providers and 43,000 health care professionals who care for 12.3 million patients a year through a closely integrated network of hospitals, multispecialty medical groups, urgent care centers, skilled nursing facilities and behavioral health centers.
Based in Dallas, Steward currently operates 39 hospitals across Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.
About the Acessa procedure
The Acessa procedure is a minimally invasive, outpatient treatment that involves two small abdominal incisions.1 It uses controlled radiofrequency energy, heat, to cause coagulative necrosis of the fibroid tissue. The treated tissue softens and shrinks over time, allowing fibroid symptoms to resolve with no suturing of the uterine tissue.2 Unlike many alternative interventions, the Acessa procedure optimizes imaging of the uterus by simultaneously displaying the laparoscopic camera view and the ultrasound view in real-time, so physicians can identify and treat nearly all locations of fibroids, including those outside the uterine cavity and within uterine walls.2 Women typically experience minimal discomfort after the procedure, quick return to normal activities in 4-5 days, and long term satisfaction and relief.1,2
Sources:
Leroy Edozien, MD. Hysterectomy for Benign Conditions. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Accessed August 4, 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC558440/
Yelena Havryliuk, MD, Robert Setton, MD, John Carlow, EdD, MPH, Barry D. Shaktman, MD, Management of symptomatic fibroids: review and meta-analysis of the literature (2006 -2016), Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, Vol. 21 (3) Jul-Sept 2017
SG Chudnoff, et al. Outpatient Procedure for the Treatment and Relief of Symptomatic Uterine Myomas. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2013;121(5):1075–82.
Notes and Disclaimers
Results may vary
There are potential risks associated with the Acessa procedure. It may not be appropriate for all patients and all patients may not benefit. For information about the indications, contraindications, warnings, and precautions, visit: https://bit.ly/38HJhvR. Rx Only.
Although many patients may benefit from the Acessa procedure, this treatment is not for everyone and results may vary. Patients should talk to their doctor about the potential benefits and risks and whether this treatment is right for them. Information contained in this article is not to be used as a substitute for talking to your doctor. You should always talk to your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.
Physicians neither pay nor receive any fees in connection with their listing on in this article
This document is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or official guidance from payors. It is not intended to increase or maximize reimbursement by any payor. Hospitals and physicians are solely responsible for being in compliance with Medicare and other payor rules and requirements for the information submitted with all claims and appeals. HOLOGIC does not warrant or guarantee that the use of this information will result in coverage or payment for any particular therapy. Before any claims or appeals are submitted, hospitals and physicians should review official payor instructions and requirements, should confirm the accuracy of their coding or billing practices with these payors and should use independent judgment when selecting codes that most appropriately describe the services or supplies provided to a patient. ICD-10 codes and CPT codes and descriptions only are copyright by the American Medical Association. All rights reserved. The American Medical Association assumes no liability for data contained or not contained herein.
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