St. David’s Medical Center first in Central Texas to use novel technology to treat liver tumors
AUSTIN, Texas—St. David’s Medical Center became the first facility in Central Texas to use a new technology that produces ultrasound energy to destroy liver tumors in a single outpatient procedure. The first procedure was performed by Shaun McKenzie, M.D., FACS, medical director of surgical oncology at St. David’s Medical Center.
“This new technology provides a noninvasive, safer option for patients with liver tumors, enabling physicians to restore their quality of life more quickly than traditional liver cancer treatment,” Dr. McKenzie said. “At St. David’s Medical Center, we are committed to offering cutting-edge treatment options for our patients, and we are honored to play a leading role in this new era for the countless patients in Central Texas living with liver tumors.”
The novel technology, which received approval by the Food and Drug Administration, is an image-guided sonic beam therapy that uses advanced imaging to deliver noninvasive, concentrated ultrasound waves to the targeted tumor tissue needing treatment, keeping surrounding tissue and blood vessels healthy. The sound waves create microbubbles within the cells of the tumor. The bubbles then expand and collapse quickly, releasing mechanical forces that breaks down the cells of the tumor tissue. The body’s immune system, over time, removes the debris from the broken-down tumor tissue, replacing it with healthy tissue.
This breakthrough treatment allows patients to recover more quickly than traditional liver cancer treatment options, such as chemotherapy, radiation or more invasive surgery. The technology also provides physicians the ability to monitor the destruction of tumor tissues under continuous, real-time visualization and control.
More than 42,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with liver cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Liver cancer incidence rates have more than tripled since 1980, while the death rates have more than doubled during that time.
St. David’s Medical Center
St. David’s Medical Center, part of St. David’s HealthCare, is a full-service medical center offering comprehensive medical care at three locations—St. David’s Medical Center, Heart Hospital of Austin and St. David’s Georgetown Hospital.
Located in Central Austin, St. David’s Medical Center includes a 371-bed acute care hospital and a 64-bed rehabilitation hospital providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. The hospital provides a full spectrum of women’s services, including its acclaimed Level IV maternity unit, maternal-fetal medicine, a high-risk maternal and neonatal transport team, the region’s largest Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It also offers outpatient breast imaging services operated through on-site provider Solis Mammography and features a 24-hour emergency department and comprehensive stroke center. Additionally, the hospital specializes in treating high acuity surgical patients, including complex spine, total joint, advanced surgical oncology, bariatric and general surgery, and it is home to the prestigious Texas Cardiac Arrythmia Institute. St. David’s Medical Center is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a Magnet® hospital, the highest and most prestigious distinction a healthcare organization can receive for nursing practice and quality patient care.
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March 25, 2025
St. David's Medical Center