When he first received the worrying news of a prostate cancer diagnosis, Leo Cohen and his wife of over 50 years wanted a solution. A retired electronics engineer from Manhattan, Mr. Cohen always does his research. He considers himself a well-informed consumer (especially when it comes to matters of his health), and knew that radiation therapy – a common treatment for prostate cancer – was not an option for him.

Mr. Cohen, faced with the choice of cryotherapy or removing his prostate entirely, sought additional options. After reading about focal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment offered at Maimonides, he decided to contact Dr. David Silver, who leads the Maimonides Prostate Center and serves as Director of the Division of Urology. Mr. Cohen chose to undergo the breakthrough Focal HIFU treatment, since it targets and eliminates the cancerous portion of the prostate with minimal side effects. The outcome was highly successful.

“I was concerned about how I would feel after the procedure, if I would have pain or soreness,” Mr. Cohen says. “But when I woke up, I didn’t experience any discomfort.”

Maimonides is the first hospital on the East Coast to offer next-generation focal HIFU, “an excellent treatment option,” says Mr. Cohen. “You don’t have to undergo radiation, hormone therapy or surgery — and it’s minimally invasive. You just go under anesthesia, wake up and it’s done.”