Dr. Michael Lazar, a Santa Rosa urologist and prostate cancer expert, is the only Northern California physician recognized as a leader in the use of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for prostate cancer.

Santa Rosa, CA (PRWEB) October 12, 2016

Sonoma Magazine’s Top Doctor survey was submitted to Sonoma County doctors who were then asked which medical specialist they would most often recommend to a loved one, and 327 professionals emerged as top docs in 50 categories of medicine. Among physician peers Dr. Michael Lazar rose to the top in the field of urology, supporting what the many patients who rely on Dr. Lazar’s expertise already know.

Take for example the experience of Charles Lawrence a urology patient of Dr. Lazar. When Lawrence thought he was having urinary problems he sought out Dr. Lazar for a consultation. The exam proved to be even more important to his health when Dr. Lazar discovered an unrelated lump on Lawrence’s thyroid, recommending follow-up with a surgeon who later removed the nodule.

“Dr. Lazar discovered a nodule in my thyroid because he was thorough in his evaluation. It’s as straightforward as that, and I cannot be more appreciative of his comprehensive approach to treating patients,” Lawrence said.

About Dr. Lazar

Dr. Lazar graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1978 and completed postgraduate training in surgery and urology at LSU in 1983. He is four-time board certified by the American Board of Urology and Managing Physician Director of Santa Rosa Surgical Management Co., LLC, which manages Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital’s Ambulatory Surgery Center. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Redwood Health Services and as a member of the American Urological Association.

Dr. Lazar is part of Northern California Medical Associates and operates California HIFU in Santa Rosa. He is the medical director of HIFU Prostate Services, LLC, a leading provider of minimally-invasive prostate cancer treatments using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). Dr. Lazar is also a clinical partner with HPS with the HIFU San Francisco Surgery Center of Excellence, a state-of-the-art facility that is convenient to hotels and the airport.

HIFU: Non-invasive Treatment for Prostate Cancer

HIFU is a FDA approved precise and targeted therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer, that reduces the risk of complications caused by surgery and radiation. HIFU uses ultrasound energy, or sound waves, to heat and destroy specifically targeted areas of tissue. During HIFU, the sound waves pass through healthy tissue without causing damage. At the focal point of the sound waves (like a magnifying glass focusing the rays of the sun to burn a leaf), the tissue temperature is raised to 90 degrees Celsius, destroying the targeted tissue.

Dr. Michael Lazar is the only Northern California physician and prostate cancer expert recognized as a leader in the use of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). He has been successfully treating patients with HIFU since 2007. “HIFU has produced oncological results that are broadly comparable to standard therapies and HIFU is the only non invasive prostate cancer therapy that does not use ionizing radiation11, which can be potentially harmful,” explains Dr. Lazar.

What HIFU Patients Have to Say California 

HIFU patients are benefiting from Dr. Lazar’s expertise and comprehensive approach as well. One such patient, Christ Lockheed of Santa Rosa, CA, came to Dr. Lazar after a biopsy revealed that he had two tumors on his prostate. Lockheed, 68, had earlier started doing research into what kind of options for treatment were available to him. When a radiation specialist in Rohnert Park told him about Dr. Lazar and the HIFU procedure, he did more homework. He found that Dr. Lazar had done hundreds of these procedures in Puerto Vallarta, and the treatment was given FDA approval October 2015.

“Dr. Lazar explained everything, and he’s done over 300 of the procedures, that’s why I went to him. I felt very confident. I looked at all of the choices and said ‘this is for me’.” Last spring Lockheed drove down to the San Francisco Surgery Center for the three-hour outpatient procedure. Afterwards, feeling no side effects, Lockheed got some take-out food and drove home. Chris also mentioned he needed no pain medication. The only side effect he had was the catheter, which was “a little irritating.” After getting the catheter removed Lockheed reported that, “… everything was totally normal.” A week after the procedure he was back at work, drumming on the weekend, and working in the yard.

For more information about Dr. Lazar and HIFU treatment for prostate cancer; visit the HIFU website, view the latest HIFU videos, and to make an appointment call: (707) 546-5553.