Hospital sows seeds of prostate therapy

Prostate cancer patients can now find better treatment without leaving the island.

Whidbey General Hospital Foundation has purchased Brachytherapy ultrasound equipment for the hospital’s surgical department.

Brachytherapy ultrasound is a necessary tool in the treatment and therapy for prostate cancer. Brachytherapy, sometimes called seed implantation, is an outpatient procedure where radioactive “seeds” are carefully placed inside the cancerous tissue and positioned in a manner that will attack the cancer most efficiently.

The ultrasound allows surgeons to see the prostate gland on a television monitor, to aid in the correct placement of the seeds.

A specialized team led by urologist Dr. Ben Hu performs the delicate procedure an average of four times per month. Patients come to Whidbey Island from surrounding communities in Skagit County and the Olympic Peninsula for the procedure.

Dr. Hu’s team includes radiation physicist Brian Hopkins and specialized surgical nurses and technicians.

“This procedure has been proven to be extremely effective and safe. It provides an excellent alternative to surgical removal of the prostate while reducing the risk of certain long-term side effects,” said Dr. Hu in a news release.

“The new ultrasound equipment is technologically superior and provides higher resolution digital images that can interface with hospital and physician software. This allows images to be transmitted digitally to remote locations for use by consulting specialists,” Hu said.

Whidbey General is one of the only hospitals of its size to offer prostate seed implant brachytherapy services.

The Foundation partnered with the Tulalip Tribes to match the hospital’s capital budget allocation to purchase the $40,000 ultrasound equipment. The Tulalip Tribes awarded a $5,000 grant toward the purchase, and the Foundation funded remaining $15,000.

“This was a cooperative effort to stretch the hospital’s limited equipment budget to secure the latest technology for surgical services,” said Laura Blankenship, executive director of the WGH Foundation. “We were thrilled to facilitate the collaboration.”

The mission of the Whidbey General Hospital Foundation is

to support Whidbey General Hospital and community health endeavors through public awareness and the development and management of charitable resources.

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