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The Medical Centre in Ostermundigen, in partnership with the Inselspital Bern, offers a modern, highly precise therapy for the treatment of certain neurological conditions: MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (abbreviated MRgFUS or HIFU, from the English high-intensity focused ultrasound).
This form of therapy provides a non-invasive alternative to conventional neurosurgical procedures for certain movement disorders and chronic pain.
MRgFUS is a treatment option for selected neurological conditions in which conventional approaches are not sufficiently effective or are not suitable.
SIFUS combines precision neurosurgery, individualised care, and extensive clinical experience. Its patient-centered model limits the number of treatments per year, allowing for rigorous case selection and tailored therapy.
Each case undergoes critical review of the indication, individualised planning, and close follow-up in a trusted clinical setting. Patients from Switzerland and abroad choose SIFUS for its reputation, transparency, and innovation.
Essential Tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder, usually affecting the hands but also the head, voice, or legs. It often becomes disabling, interfering with daily activities such as eating, writing, or speaking.
SIFUS offers MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS), an incisionless option for patients with therapy-resistant ET, considered when medication is ineffective or poorly tolerated.
Eligibility is based on clinical and radiological evaluation, including confirmed ET diagnosis, favorable skull density (CT), and preserved cognition. Tremor severity and laterality help decide between unilateral or staged bilateral treatment.
MRgFUS targets either the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) or cerebellothalamic tract (CTT), key nodes in the tremor network. Focused lesioning often provides rapid and substantial relief, with symptom reduction exceeding 80% in most cases.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex neurological disorder. When medication becomes ineffective or produces intolerable side‑effects, Magnetic Resonance‑guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) can offer an incisionless alternative to Deep Brain Stimulation.
Key results from over 10 years of experience and research:
Who is a good candidate?
The emotional and psychological aspects of Parkinson’s are carefully assessed. If needed, personalised psychosocial support is provided before starting MRgFUS treatment.
Neuropathic pain is caused by damage to nerves or injury to the spinal cord or brain. It can result from conditions such as phantom pain after amputation, nerve compression, spinal cord injury, stroke-related pain (thalamic syndrome), trigeminal neuralgia, pain following a herniated disc, and other nerve-related disorders.
Using MR-guided Focused Ultrasound Central Lateral Thalamotomy (MRgFUS CLT) target the part of the brain responsible for amplifying pain signals. This incisionless procedure reduces or stops the pain by interrupting these signals, without affecting normal brain functions. Many patients experience significant and lasting pain relief, often with less need for pain medications.
Treatment is based on close cooperation between Swiss Medical Network and the Insel Group. The therapy itself is carried out at the Medical Centre Ostermundigen, with medical management provided by SIFUS AG under PD Dr. Marc Gallay. Inpatient care and follow-up treatment are provided by Inselspital Bern with an interdisciplinary team from the fields of neurology and neurosurgery.
This close cooperation ensures that patients benefit from a high level of professional expertise, modern technical facilities and continuous care.
