Fusion Targeted Prostate Cancer Treatment
How does SmartBlate work?
The SmartBlate procedure combines precise medical imaging technology with the
most effective ablation (destruction of diseased tissue) technique, Cryotherapy.
Finding and Delineating the Cancer Tissue
SmartBlate uses Fusion Imaging Technology, which combines the resolution of MRI
images that precisely locate suspect-tissue within the prostate, with the practicality
of ultrasound for accurate steering of biopsy or treatment instruments in an office
setting.
Destroying only the Cancer Tissue
Once the cancer is identified and scored according to its aggressiveness and location
(following a biopsy), your specialist determines if you are a candidate
for a SmartBlate Fusion Targeted Prostate Cancer Treatment.
Eighty percent (80%) of patients with prostate cancer could be candidates for the
procedure, which uses Fusion Technology to precisely guide cryo-needles that deliver super-cooled argon gas to the cancer tissue and destroy it using cycles of freezing and thawing.
This targeted ablation technique aims to spare most of the healthy tissue in the
prostate thus minimizing the side effects associated with the removal of the entire
prostate.
Why SmartBlate?
A minimally invasive procedure that preserves healthy tissue and quality of life without radiation or surgery
The SmartBlate advantage: Exclusive provider of Focalyx Fusion in the U.S.
Convenient
Fast and safe in-office procedure performed in less than ninety (90) minutes
Optimal
Precise destruction of localized cancer tissue while sparing healthy tissue
Practical
No general anesthesia required, with minimal post-procedure care
Nearly seventy percent (70%) of prostate cancer patients have low to intermediate risk cancer at diagnosis, yet most go through either radical surgical removal of the prostate, radiation, or active surveillance (frequent biopsies combined with hormonal castration) for treatment.
These treatments often cause complications in quality of life (e.g., lack of ejaculation, lack of erection, lack of sex drive, urinary incontinence, rectal discomfort) due to destruction of the entire prostate or damage to nearby nerves and other organs.
SmartBlate is the exclusive provider of the Focalyx Fusion Platform, the only platform tailored for Diagnosis - Focalyx Bx - and Treatment -FocalyxTxCryo - that precisely destroy cancer within the prostate while sparing healthy tissue.
Frequent Questions and Answers
How long does the procedure take?
Typically the procedure is done within sixty (60) to ninety (90) minutes.
Where is the procedure performed?
The procedure takes place most likely at your doctor's office or in a designated
SmartBlate Therapy Center. The protocol avoids hospital stays and the risk of
infection.
What are the probabilities of preserving sexual function?
Nearly eighty (80%) of our patients retain prior sexual function, and around 70% maintain
ejaculatory function.
Will my urinary function improve?
Approximately seventy (70%) of SmartBlate patients experience a substantial
improvement in urinary function.
How is the recovery period?
There is no overnight stay. Depending on the extension of cancerous tissue treated,
the patient uses a catheter from four (4) to seven (7) days. There is minimal post-
operative pain.
Will cancer recur?
Almost ninety (90%) of SmartBlate treated patients are cancer-free one year after
the procedure. Your doctor carefully monitors any changes in PSA levels; in case of
recurrence the process could be repeated, or your doctor decides if more aggressive
treatment is needed, as the procedure does not burn any bridges.
John Douglas
Patient
I feel excellent after my procedure. My erections are fantastic, not like when I was young, but just like before undergoing the treatment. I also had difficulties urinating before, and now I’m much better. It's two years since I had the procedure done and my biopsies have been negative.
Paul Kraun
Patient
I had an incredible experience. I didn’t experience any pain during the procedure and no blood in the stools afterward. I’m pleased with the SmartBlate team and following the protocol as the Doctor recommended.
Doctor F. J. Bianco
Doctor
The SmartBlate procedure allows for rapid and careful treatment of the vast majority of prostate cancer patients in an office setting without burning any bridges in case of recurrence.
Doctors and Patients Opinions
Find a Physician
We are expanding our coverage network, to date we
have SmartBlate centers in Boston, Miami, and New
York. We will open soon in Houston, Atlanta,
Chicago, and Los Angeles
Boston
Michael Zachareas, MD
Dr. Zachareas, is a board-certified urologist with clinical interests in male and female
urology, including infertility, prostate and stone disease, and oncology. He specializes in
minimally invasive treatment and is affiliated with Northeast Health System.
Dr. Zachareas is a native of New York who attended Boston University in 1988. He returned
to New England in 2003 and founded New England Urology in 2006.
Miami
Fernando J. Bianco, MD
Dr. Bianco is a Urology Oncology surgeon and disruptive innovator. He founded
SmartBlate, derived from his conceived and patented SmartTx - the target fusion
transperineal procedure performed under local anesthesia that destroys or zaps prostate
cancer harboring tissues while preserving the function of healthy prostate. SmartTx enables
cancer control while avoiding harm, thus, most patients preserve erections, ejaculations and
experience improvement in urination outcomes.
He serves as Investigator in-Chief for the Urological Research Network, and Clinical
Professor for Nova Southeastern University. He practices at Urology Specialist Group and
Lyx Health.
Upon completion of his Urological Oncology and Laparoscopic studies at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, he focused on Robotic Surgery transforming big wide
incision procedures such as Radical Cystectomy into minimally invasive ones. His
academic career encompasses more than 100 publications, mostly into patients outcomes
after intervention for Prostate Cancer and its effects on Quality-of -Life.
Edward Gheiler, MD
Dr. Gheiler founded Urology Specialists after he left his faculty position at the University of
Miami School Of Medicine where he was Chief of the Veterans’ Hospital.
He attended medical school in New York at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine and
continued on to do his fellowship and urology residency at the prestigious Wayne State
University in Detroit.
He has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, presented countless of abstracts at
Urology meetings, and co-authored part of a book. With years of experience and a
dedication to all of his patients, Dr. Gheiler has been able to diagnose and treat thousands
of patients with the care and attention they deserve.
Ariel M. Kaufman, MD
Dr. Kaufman is a diplomate of the American Board of Urology who serves as a faculty
member at Nova University, Urology Specialists and Lyx Health in FL. He also runs a
distinguish practice at Hospital de Clinicas Caracas in Venezuela where he has served as
head of the Urology Department, as well as Director of the Board of Directors.
As a forward thinker, Dr Kaufman has adopted the SmartBlate paradigm in the diagnosis
and management of prostate cancer. He is a pioneer of robotic surgery in Latin America,
having performed the first robotic surgeries for prostate and kidney diseases in South
America. Since 2006 he also serves as the Director of the National Robotic Surgery Center
at Hospital de Clinicas Caracas.
New York
Farshad Shafizadeh, MD
Dr. Shafizadeh is a board-certified urologist licensed to practice urology in the State of New
York. He is also assistant Professor of Urology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He
received his medical degree from the State University of New York, and completed both his
general surgery and urology residencies at Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center.
Upon completing his residency, Dr. Shafizadeh was appointed assistant director of Urology
at Cabrini Medical Center in Manhattan and became the residency coordinator for Mount
Sinai department of Urology at Cabrini Medical Center.
Dr. Shafizadeh’s training and affiliation with such major academic medical centers as Mount
Sinai Medical Center, Beth Israel Medical Center and Montefiore Medical Center, all located
in New York City which has always been at the forefront of medical research and
breakthroughs, allow him to remain on the cutting edge of the field of Urology and to quickly
adopt the most advanced surgical and minimally invasive treatments into his practice.