Westerly Hospital first in New England to offer new precision technology for prostate screening

Westerly Hospital is the first hospital in New England to use a state-of-the-art micro-ultrasound device that more precisely visualizes prostate tumors for patients undergoing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening and prostate biopsies.

The new system allows for real-time, high-resolution imaging that guides the surgeon during the biopsy and produces images that allow the urologist to better distinguish cancerous tissue from normal tissue, which can enhance the quality of the biopsy.

Because of its superior resolution, an accompanying MRI of the prostate may not always be necessary. Current practice suggests that to get optimal biopsy results, men with high PSA levels or suspected prostate cancer should get an MRI in addition to ultrasound.

Patients undergoing the procedure remain awake and receive only a local anesthetic. The images appear in real time on a console monitor to help guide the urologist to perform the biopsy. The procedure takes no more than 15 minutes.

“This is an outstanding addition to the tools that we can use in the office to better detect prostate cancer,” said Joseph F. Renzulli, MD, regional medical director and chief of urology for both L+M Hospital and Westerly Hospital. “With this new device we can better detect smaller abnormalities within the prostate gland and more accurately direct our biopsies to enhance the pathologic evaluation of the grade and stage of the cancer.”

Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer in men, with 200,000 cases diagnosed every year. Traditional methods of diagnosis are PSA screening, imaging and biopsies. This precision technology determines precisely where the tumor is located. This higher resolution allows micro-ultrasound to detect prostate cancer with very high sensitivity, which is not possible using conventional ultrasound

“At Westerly Hospital and Yale New Haven Health we pride ourselves on providing the most advanced technology to enhance the care possible for our patients,” said Patrick L. Green, president and CEO. “We will continue to make key investments in our clinical programs like urology to better serve our communities.”

Westerly Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a 125-bed hospital that has been providing residents of southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut with a full range of inpatient and outpatient services in a community hospital setting for more than 90 years. Westerly Hospital patients receive the finest quality treatment in the following areas of care: emergency, medical, surgical, radiology, laboratory and rehabilitative services. The hospital also offers heart and vascular care, interventional pain management, wound care, pulmonary rehabilitation services, inpatient geriatric psychiatric care and comprehensive cancer care provided through the Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center. All inpatient rooms are private. www.westerlyhospital.org