HISTOSONICS NON-INVASIVE TREATMENT AT OROVILLE HOSPITAL: PROVIDING NEW OPTIONS TO PATIENTS WITH LIVER TUMORS
Patients are traveling from all over the world to Oroville, California to receive a non-invasive treatment that destroys liver tumors through sonic beams created by ultrasound waves.
OROVILLE, Calif., June 26, 2025 – Oroville Hospital is the first hospital in Northern California to perform Histotripsy; An innovative, non-invasive, FDA approved, method to effectively destroy tumors in the liver.
This robotic-assisted Histotripsy procedure is performed and controlled by the hospital’s board-certified Interventional Radiologist, Kevin Burns, MD, using sophisticated imaging technology. Kevin Burns, MD, has been at the forefront of Histotripsy, and is the number one physician in the world to perform this treatment.
With the HistoSonics Edison® System, Histotripsy utilizes pulsed sound waves to create “bubble clouds” from gases naturally present in targeted tissue. The bubble clouds form and collapse in microseconds, creating mechanical forces that effectively break down tissue at the cellular and sub-cellular levels.
“We are proud to add Histotripsy to our wide-range of integrated healthcare services. With HistoSonics, we are able to provide new options to patients who may not be candidates for open surgery, or to some patients that have been told their liver tumor is inoperable,” states Robert J. Wentz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Oroville Hospital.
Matthew Ercolani, MD, Urologist at Oroville Hospital and co-director of the program, has coordinated many patients throughout the United States, as well as countries like Malaysia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia to travel to Oroville for treatment.
Patients have been thrilled with the results, expertise and care that they have received at Oroville Hospital. To date, the hospital has completed over 100 cases, making it fifth in the country overall and second so far in 2025 for treated cases. This treatment is revolutionary, and the hospital is optimistic about expanding it to other organs of the body in the near future.
“Everyone at Oroville Hospital was exceptionally nice and caring. The nurses and doctors were highly competent and professional. Over 50% of my tumor was liquefied– It was very large, covering almost all of my left liver, and a year ago it wouldn’t have been thinkable that it could be treated at all. I am really grateful for this opportunity,” expressed a patient who traveled from another country to receive treatment in Oroville.
Histotripsy has been studied by doctors and researchers for two decades. It preserves liver parenchyma, preserves hepatic veins, portal veins and bile ducts, good radiological results, non-invasive, and results are seen immediately. Because Histotripsy is an outpatient procedure, most patients can return home the same day with minimal discomfort and quickly return to normal activities.
The Oroville Hospital team is available to discuss treatment plans that are best suited for the patient’s situation. As the hospital adds more technology-advanced capabilities to its’ medical home, the care team understands that Histotripsy may not be the treatment of choice. Providers are available to discuss options based on the needs and comfortability of the patient.
To find out if you are a candidate for Histotripsy at Oroville Hospital, please contact (530) 538-3157.
About HistoSonics
HistoSonics is a privately held medical device company developing a non-invasive platform and proprietary sonic beam therapy utilizing the science of histotripsy, a novel mechanism of action that uses focused ultrasound to mechanically destroy and liquefy unwanted tissue and tumors. The company is currently focused on commercializing their Edison System in the US and select global markets for liver treatment while expanding histotripsy applications into other organs like kidney, pancreas, and others. For more information on the Edison Histotripsy System, please visit www.histosonics.com/.
About Oroville Hospital
Oroville Hospital is a community hospital dedicated to providing the finest personalized healthcare to Oroville and the surrounding foothill and valley communities by offering a wide range of integrated services from prevention through treatment to wellness. For more information about the hospital, please visit www.OrovilleHospital.com. For more information about Histotripsy at the hospital, please visit www.OrovilleHospital.com/Robotic-Surgery/Histotripsy.