I didn’t experience any pain, only slight discomfort during the surgery and in the first two days of recovery.

I am very happy: no more visible veins or associated symptoms.

I definitely recommend it!

7 days after echotherapy, already done surgery a few years ago.

The difference with the operating room is obvious.

psychological and physical: the surgery is outpatient, quick, pain-free. No pain even in convalescence.

Recommended because it is ideal: extremely advantageous compared to surgery.

My first varicose vein appeared on my calf during my first pregnancy in 2003. It was getting bigger every summer, due to the heat. I went to the doctor for the first time 4 years ago, because I was starting to feel a heaviness in my leg: it was no longer just a cosmetic problem.

Because of my phobia of the operating theatre, which can cause real anxiety attacks in me, an operation was postponed. Recently, my doctor told me about ultrasound therapy. I was motivated by the idea of avoiding the operating theatre, as well as by the non-invasive aspect of the treatment and the absence of days off work.

During the 2.5 hour treatment I was able to check my smartphone and chat with the people around me. Thanks to the local anaesthetic, I could only feel a heat diffusion in the treated leg (without it, it was more like a strong pinch). It remained sensitive for 2-3 days and my muscles were a bit sore. But the same evening I was able to go dancing with my friends, without bandages! And I was able to resume my sports sessions on the third day after the treatment.

So I recommend echotherapy to all patients who want to avoid the operating theatre like me.

I had an open spot on my leg. It just didn’t heal. The doctor said that it was an ulcer and it developed because of a vein not functioning properly anymore.

I had a surgery of the vein and afterwards the open spot on the leg healed again. But after a while the affected area slowly turned red again. A little later I was supposed to have surgery on my knee for a completely different reason. But when the orthopaedist saw my leg, he was afraid that the knee would become infected due to the injured skin. I still remember how he said, “Otherwise you might lose your leg”.

So I went back to my vein specialist. He discovered a perforator vein that was likely the reason for why my leg looked so horrible again. He advised me to have my veins treated again. But because the skin on my leg was in such a terrible condition, surgery was no longer possible. But then he told me about a new treatment method: echotherapy.

The procedure can be used to treat veins without an operation, that means without a cut or puncture. If I had known that before! The treatment itself was absolutely ok and bearable. I didn’t even need any painkillers. And the atmosphere was also really relaxed – we even talked. And after that I was able to go home without any restrictions.

Discover Christine’s testimonial in video on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CveCbJ63Ew

I’ve been having vein problems for a few years now, but it was about two years before treatment that they really started to get ugly. I suppose my job didn’t help, because running a boutique, you really are on your feet all day. I became very conscious that my legs were starting to look terrible in shorts so I stopped wearing them.

A friend of mine had similar problems. She went to see a vein specialist who told her about this new echotherapy technique. They use ultrasound with a machine called SONOVEIN®, which treats varicose veins without surgery.

I just took a deep breath and went to see a vein doctor and he told me that varicose vein problems such as mine were not just a cosmetic issue, they could have hidden complications and with some people that can even result in leg ulcers. So I got treatment in both legs.

The treatment wasn’t too bad. I felt a little discomfort now and again, but the whole process was completely non-invasive. The ultrasound beam went straight through my skin without cutting it or anything, it was just remarkable. I was asked to walk straight after the treatment. I did a couple of rounds through the office, and I was ready to go!

Discover Lynn’s testimonial in video on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZjdBCPCljk

I first developed varicose veins when I was a teenager. It wasn’t a nice thing to have but hey, I was young and I thought maybe they’ll just go away.

But of course, it didn’t go away. As I got older, they just got worse. The feeling of heaviness increased, and my legs became very tender in some places. I knew I had to do something about my legs when these veins started to have an impact on my love of dancing. The first night I had to leave the dance floor and rest for a while was really, really scary.

When I got my legs scanned to see how bad my veins had become, I learnt about echotherapy. I cannot tell you the relief I felt to learn that there was a non-invasive way of getting rid of those horrible veins.

I know it sounds miraculous that there is this machine SONOVEIN® that cures varicose veins by treating them from outside the body. A machine that gets rid of them without leaving any scars or needing days laid up to recover.

My echotherapy with SONOVEIN was quick, and with hardly any pain. When it was over my legs felt so light, the feeling was truly uplifting! The next day, I was back at work and the following weekend, I went out and I danced the night away.

Discover Maria’ testimonial in video on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfOS3De473I

I am a logistician in the airline industry and therefore have to stand a lot, which, together with a family history, is certainly not good for varicose veins. I have had visible varicose veins for a while, but suddenly I got a thrombosis. That was the trigger for me to get treatment.

I searched the internet for a vein specialist and came across a website that told me about echotherapy as an alternative to surgery.

Years ago I had varicose veins surgery, with incisions, anaesthesia and so on. Afterwards I had problems for ages and had to wear compression stockings for weeks. There was a tingling in my legs that took a long time to go away. And then the stitches had to be removed and small scars remained.

I did not want that to happen again and when I read about the echotherapy, I thought I would give it a try. You have to be able to endure the treatment, but I am very satisfied and had no problems at all after the treatment. I was able to go back to my everyday life right away.

I was treated by echotherapy after having experienced certain symptoms of varicose veins such as the heavy legs effect, the appearance of a sort of small ball at the top of the thigh, veins that seem to be knotted and that stick out… My doctor, whom I trust completely, recommended a quick intervention to avoid any risk of thrombosis (formation of a blood clot).

I had already had a varicose veins operation 7-8 years before and I had bad memories of it… Under general anesthetic, I didn’t feel anything at the time but the following days were painful. The operation was outpatient and I had planned to go back to work the next day, but instead I had 10 days off work with home care. I had an allergic reaction first to the thread, then to the dressing, so I had complications I could have done without… The operation also left me with huge bruises, one of which was behind my knee, which was particularly annoying.

So when I had to have another operation and my doctor told me about ultrasound therapy, even though I’m a fussy person by nature, I immediately accepted. My relatives were surprised and a little worried about this new technology, but I was sure I didn’t want another surgery.

When I did the maths, I realised that between the post-operative care, the nurse’s trip home, the anaesthetist’s extra fees, etc., the cost of a treatment with the machine was not the same as the cost of a surgery. The cost of a treatment with ultrasound therapy was equivalent to the cost of a second operation, without the inconvenience!

I didn’t feel any pain, I didn’t even feel like I was undergoing a medical procedure because everything was done in the office with my doctor. It went so well that I have already forgotten everything! I have nothing but good memories and have recommended this treatment to all my friends. If I had to do it again in the future, I would choose this option without hesitation. By the way, I have thyroid problems and I heard that my nodules can be treated with ultrasound therapy, so after delaying an operation I will probably go for this treatment.

“This spring I was treated with the SONOVEIN device by Dr. Obermayer in Melk (diagnosis: great saphenous vein insufficiency with right lateral varicosis) – and I was very satisfied with the treatment. The “shots” with high-energy ultrasonic waves lasted for eight seconds and from about half the time I started feeling a strong burning sensation. I thought that this was a bit uncomfortable – but it’s well manageable. The treatment time went by as if in flight, because there was always a good mood amongst everyone in the room. Thanks for that!

After the treatment I felt fine and I had no pain. Just sometimes I felt a slight pull in the treatment area. I also received some compression stockings which I wore for about a week. I followed the advice of Dr. Obermayer to stay active and move more. The follow-up examinations were pleasing. According to Dr. Obermayer the treatment was a great success. I was delighted that the varicose on the right lower leg visibly decreased after the treatment. I would like to thank Dr. Obermayer and his competent, sympathetic and heartfelt team!”

I’m a Specialist Venous Surgeon and Phlebologist at The Whiteley Clinic and I generally stand all day whilst treating patients. At the end of my days, my legs often used to feel extremely painful, heavy and restless. As a doctor I knew it was because of my veins – I had 2 incompetent perforator veins.

As I learned Echotherapy would be available and launching at The Whiteley Clinic as a new, completely non-invasive treatment option I knew this was for me, especially as I hate needles. Of course, only if I am the patient.

Echotherapy is not like laser treatment, there is no catheter insertion, just an ultrasound probe which sits on your skin. Only a small volume of local anesthetic was used, a lot less than what is required for other treatment options. I can definitely admit that it was way less painful than laser treatment.

During the treatment I was able to relax on the treatment table and the treatment probe was positioned on my leg. Much to my delight, I didn’t feel much of the pulses at all. Sometimes it would heat up a bit, like if you are holding a cup of tea, but after a few seconds this sensation would disappear. During the evening after the treatment I felt that “something” had happened in my legs, but it was not a feeling of pain. In all honesty, I didn’t have any post-operative pain at all, nor did I have any bruises or discomfort that often comes with other vein treatments.

It was literally a real walk-in walk-out treatment experience. I was treated first thing in the morning and by that afternoon I attended a clinical training which incorporated standing most of the time. The day after the treatment, I continued to work normally and the 2nd day after the treatment I did surgeries all day. To my astonishment, I felt absolutely great! I had a follow up scan and with much excitement I can say my veins are completely closed and the heaviness, restlessness and the pain are completely gone.

I had been following Theraclion, the company behind SONOVEIN, since 2015 as an investor and had presented myself as a candidate to join the clinical trial. My medical file was accepted but the clinical trial was being conducted in Wien and I was advised to wait until a French practitioner would adopt this ultrasound therapy.

This is how in March 2021 I found myself in the angiologist’s office after a short trip by TGV from Paris to Lille. The practitioner first introduced me to the equipment, explained how I was going to be treated and after checking my faulty venous network, I lay down for two hours of treatment – two hours, which went by very quickly, as I was so busy discussing with Dr Stalnikiewicz about history, literature, current events…

Thirty years ago, I had already had my saphenous veins removed and I still had a vivid memory of it: very painful for more than two weeks, my legs bandaged and my movements difficult. A new network had been formed and then degraded. Dr Stalnikiewicz first undertook to close the ‘perforators’ of this network. Starting with the middle of the inner thigh and without anaesthesia.

He then concluded to inject the local anaesthetic of xylocaine to lower the pain. I hate needles but the needle was thin enough so that I did not feel any discomfort. Afterwards the sensation of the shocks was reduced and they no longer needed to be announced by a countdown. A new local anaesthetic on the other leg gave an equally comfortable result. However, I noticed a tendency to contract with a slight tremor which I controlled by relaxing; until the next stiffening.

At the end of the session, I went home by train and metro, as if nothing had happened. My legs were bandaged as a precaution until the next day.

A week has just passed, and I still feel pain in the narrowed perforators on my inner thighs. For the rest, my compression stockings offer me the usual comfort. I still climb 6 floors to my flat without a lift in less than a minute.

I will return to Lille in 6 weeks for a check-up visit. Dr Stalnikiewicz knows how to establish a relationship of trust and beyond the experienced and attentive practitioner I appreciated the benevolence that radiates from this man.

When I was young, I was a keen competitive cyclist and I think that must have put a lot of pressure on my veins. As I got older, the veins started to bulge, my legs felt heavy, and they started to itch a lot as well. Slowly the veins got larger and when dark spots and patterns of redness started to appear I could tell that things were getting worse and I knew I had to do something about it.

A friend of mine had his legs lasered. But from what he told me about that laser treatment, it did not sound too compelling. He also told me that since his treatment there was a new technique available called SONOVEIN® echotherapy.

I’ve never had an operation in my life and the thought that I might have to have incisions in different parts of my legs did not appeal to me one bit. But when they told me how echotherapy works, I thought ‘this is definitely the treatment for me’.

So when I went in for my treatment, it didn’t feel like being in a surgery or hospital at all. It was just a nice, comfortable room, with the SONOVEIN machine next to the bed. I felt a little discomfort when the treatment started, near my groin. But after that the local anaesthetic they gave me kicked in and I didn’t feel anything after that.

There was no cutting into my skin. The SONOVEIN just worked its magic, treating my vein and when it was finished, I just got up and went home.

It’s amazing. SONOVEIN is amazing. And it’s definitely the future for treating veins!

Discover James’ testimonial in video on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKKgZG8dq7I

I didn’t feel any pain, ever!

Even at home, I felt like as if I had no surgery.

This procedure is not comparable to surgery, because it’s much less invasive.

I recommend it.

I noticed my varicose veins for the first time while playing tennis. My friends said to me at the time: ‘You’re going to have real problems with your varicose veins’. I was a bit concerned, knowing that varicose veins were present and that they involve certain complications.

But my friends didn’t give up. I finally went to see a specialist. My right leg was the first to be operated on. It really wasn’t a pleasure. I had to go to the hospital, got general anaesthesia… The full operation.

When it was my left leg’s turn, my doctor recommended a new method: echotherapy with the SONOVEIN® device. It comes completely without surgery or incision.

I went to the practice on the day of the treatment. I lied down on a lounger chair. I was fully conscious the whole time and could look at everything going on. I still can’t say exactly how it all happened. I just trusted my doctor and let him do the whole thing. To be safe, my husband was with me at the practice. But it really wasn’t necessary.

Immediately after the treatment I drove us home. And to celebrate the day we went out to eat. My varicose veins are now gone. I’m curious what my friends will think when I put my tennis skirt on…

Discover Erika’s testimonial in video on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyPPhOsQcBg

The surgery is a breeze, not painful – so is the recovery process. Definitely recommended!

My varicose veins only bothered me visually in the beginning, so I had a foam sclerotherapy done. That’s when the problems really started. I work a lot, 10-12 hours a day are normal, and I really didn’t have much time. Putting my legs up was really out of the question.

The treated leg was often swollen, hot, painful and sore. Without a compression stocking nothing really worked anymore and then there was a weird spot on my legs that was like dead. I had that treated again too. But I really thought: ‘Did I really do all that for nothing?’.

I then also had a laser therapy done. At one point, it was a real medical marathon. Thank God I ended up with my current doctor, who recommended the echotherapy treatment with the SONOVEIN® device.

It went without any complications. At first, I felt a kind of tickling, for a couple seconds, but it really was not too bad. Right after the treatment, I went for a walk, for about an hour. The pressure in the leg was just gone.

Discover Markus’ testimonial in video on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcPUcX8uxtM

I have had varicose veins symptoms since I was about 25. I had already been treated by sclerotherapy once. With three children to look after, I didn’t take time to follow up, especially as I didn’t have any serious symptoms. But as the years went by, apart from the risks to my health, it was the unpleasant aspect that I didn’t like.

I had consulted 2 angiologists, who confirmed that I needed an operation. I was offered to have both legs operated on the same day, which was little consolation, and fortunately I had not managed to decide!

I discovered echotherapy by French local newspaper La Voix du Nord in early 2021. I then read about it on the echotherapie.com website. I was immediately convinced because I wanted to avoid the operating theatre. I am in the medical-social field, I like my work and I really wanted to avoid work stoppages.

I made an appointment with the doctor via Doctolib, we did the necessary tests (Doppler) and agreed on a date to treat the first leg. The doctor was reassuring and attentive and we were able to talk throughout the procedure. I felt nothing thanks to the local anaesthetic and even without it, the pain was bearable. I thought it was a great treatment method! I then made an appointment for the treatment of my second leg.

I was able to resume my daily activities the same day and was able to work normally the next day!

In terms of costs, planning the treatment in advance allowed me to put the money aside without it upsetting my finances too much. I think it’s worth it! I would definitely recommend this treatment to others.

I am very happy with the operation.

I recommend it to people like me who have a venous issues: echotherapy is much more beneficial than surgery.

I was already working the next day! I am a tiler, and I was already working from the next day bent over and kneeling without pain.

I have had varicose veins for 20-25 years, but I had never experienced any treatment. I had an echography once and they had warned me that I might need surgery later. At first, there were very small and more of a cosmetic issue, before they turned into a health issue. When the vein is not working well, it’s like a tap that you need to turn off.

My varicose veins mostly affected me during the hot months, the heat could be a real bother.

I am a primary school teacher so I spend a lot of time on my feet. I need my full mobility to work and take care of the children, especially the young ones who require more attention. I also walk a lot, at a fast pace.

Recently, I wanted to have my varicose veins checked and found an online newspaper article about this new treatment method, echotherapy with SONOVEIN. The alternative was a small surgery, since my varicose veins were not very pronounced. But I didn’t want it, because of the possible complications. I wanted to have them treated because my mother also had had varicose veins that were aggravated by heart disease and diabetes. It resulted in an open ulcer. I wanted to avoid this. I thus took an appointment at the Instituto Vascular Internacional at HM Monteprincipe in Madrid.

During the treatment, they gave me a local anaesthetic, and I felt a little heat but no pain. It was completely bearable. I left the doctor’s office by foot and I got back to work the next day. That’s a great advantage! Amazing treatment!

I did both legs a few months apart (November and February) and both treatments went really well! I didn’t feel pain after the treatment once the anaesthetic effect disappeared. The doctor recommended not doing sports for a while as a precautionary measure but apart from that I went back to my normal life.

I am very happy with the treatment, it’s amazing! I have already recommended it to a few people including my colleague who already has an appointment with the doctor. We need to talk more about echotherapy, it’s so great!

When I was very young, I had thyroid problems and had to receive surgical treatment. Since then, I have to take thyroid hormones daily. Over the years, unfortunately, a new nodule has formed, which was getting bigger. Finally, it was about 2.3 cm in size and started bothering me. I had trouble swallowing and felt the lump in my throat. I was short of breath very quickly when I did any physical activity, as the nodule compressed my trachea.

I knew that things couldn’t continue like this. Having another operation was no option for me as I was afraid of possible risks, such as a vocal cord paralysis. Also my first surgery caused internal scar tissue. When my doctor suggested me echotherapy as an alternative, I did not hesitate. This was a real option for me to treat the nodule. I would have delayed an operation as much as possible.

I was reassured that echotherapy involved minimal risk and was scar-free. That was very important to me. There was no general anesthesia and no post-treatment required. The short treatment time and the fact that you could return to your everyday life again immediately after the procedure, convinced me.

On treatment day, I was still nervous because I was not sure if the treatment was going to be painful. I took a mild pain relief. The treatment took about 45 minutes. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. During the ultrasound pulses, I felt a tingling sensation and a feeling of pressure that spread depending on the position in the direction of the jaw, shoulder and neck. I also had a cold feeling at the site of the treatment and a slight pulling in the jaw. But two hours later, everything was OK. I had no limitations in everyday life.

The nodule has already visibly shrunk and I am symptom-free. I particularly like that there were no scars and that you have to interrupt your normal life only briefly. I can highly recommend this therapy to others.

For many years I always felt like having a lump in my throat. At a doctor’s appointment I was confronted with the diagnosis: I had several hot and one cold thyroid nodule. A conventional treatment with thyroid hormones turned out unsuccessful and so the nodules were initially just observed on a regular basis. Thereby it was recognized that the cold nodule kept increasing in volume slowly but steadily over the years. In 2018, I was advised to have the thyroid completely surgically removed, based on my age and the constant increase in the number of hot nodules. I started my own research on the internet because I wanted to avoid surgery. I came across the Echotherapy treatment, a non-invasive alternative to surgery. Unfortunately, it was not offered in Munich, but I found the University Hospital in Frankfurt which offered the therapy. Since the clinic is considered a pioneer of this therapy and is well recognized throughout Germany due to their competent medical experts and the offer of the latest technology, I wanted to give it a try. I immediately contacted the university hospital and it turned out that I was eligible for the therapy! Unfortunately, the treatment was not completely painless. There were several so-called pulses delivered during treatment – high-intensity ultrasound which heats the tissue locally and destroys the nodule tissue. This will not completely remove the nodule, but it will decrease its volume to an extent that it cannot be felt anymore. Today I feel freer and no longer experience the feeling of having a lump in my throat. I would do this again at any time to avoid surgery.

The first thing which I just could not explain was that I had issues swallowing. A little later, when I applied a lotion, I clearly felt something on my neck. It made me feel uncomfortable I worried whether the nodule would continue to grow and if it was benign.

I immediately went to my family doctor, who referred me to a nuclear medicine doctor. The result: Fortunately, the lump was not malignant and I did not suffer from hyperthyroidism or hypofunction. But due to the discomfort and a size of 4.5 cm the nodule had to be treated anyways. The doctor prescribed pills which were supposed to prevent further growth. Worse than the uncertainty around this nodule, however, were the side effects of the pills: I suffered from headaches, tachycardia and severe abdominal pain.

By accident, I came across an article on echotherapy, which allows treating thyroid nodules without surgery. I found a treatment center in Germany via the echotherapy website and immediately arranged an initial consultation – a simple referral letter from my GP was sufficient. Two weeks later I was sitting in the practice for nuclear medicine at Dr. Hakman, who took a lot of time and explained how echotherapy works : a therapy option without general anesthesia and without a cut, which gently treats the affected tissue with bundled ultrasound – without surgery and in an outpatient session. The decision to do echotherapy was made quickly and a month later I returned to the practice for treatment.

Thanks to the extensive education of Dr. Hakman I already knew exactly what to expect. Of course, I was a little bit nerveous. The treatment did not really hurt – the hardest part was to keep still during 40 minutes. I felt a slight pull in the jaw and shoulder area, but after the treatment everything was quickly forgotten. I was able to leave the practice immediately and go to work. Four weeks later, the lump was already much smaller and after only four months it had shrunk to half its original size – and all without pills. I have no more complaints and the nodule is no longer visible. And I can look in the mirror again.

Thyroid nodules occur frequently in our family. I myself had never had problems in the past. However about three years ago, I suddenly suffered from water retention, sweated a lot and was often tired and breathless. I suspected the usual causes of menopause and asthma. Following an appointment with my osteopath things got rolling: he suspected thyroid problems behind my symptoms. Following up with an appointment with my GP and blood tests, I was told that my thyroid glands were OK. I was not convinced and wanted to have my symptoms checked out by a specialist doctor. At about the same time, I read in the press about Dr. Seeberger, who specializes in thyroid diseases at his nuclear medical practice. I took my blood results to the appointment with Dr. Seeberger who was immediately alerted. My thyroid glands were completely out of balance. The constant fatigue, the heat buildup, the problems of breathing were all connected with a thyroid nodule. I was very afraid of an operation, but Dr. Seeberger quickly reassured me. He introduced me to a new, gentle treatment that uses ultrasound which melts the thyroid nodule tissue by heat. He told me all about echotherapy: a short treatment without a hospital stay and which the healthy tissue is not impaired. The most important thing: no surgery, no cuts. I felt relived – the decision had been made. Already the day after the treatment, I could breathe better again and within three weeks the nodule had already shrank by a third. I did not expect my complaints to ease so quickly. Since I had a thyroid nodule on both sides of the thyroid gland, the treatment was performed in two sessions. Also the second time everything went without problems. I am just extremely happy that my thyroid gland did not have to be removed and I probably will not need any more drugs. And I have once again realized how important it is to listen to your inner voice.

At the beginning of 2013, whilst inspecting my breast, I discovered a nodule. At this time I had never heard about fibroadenoma, so I was afraid that it was something more serious. Subsequently, I asked for the advice of a gynecologist. After the ultrasound, he confirmed that it was not cancer but probably just a fibroadenoma. To eliminate any doubt, I also had a biopsy undertaken on the lump. At this time, it was not a cause for concern, as it was a rather small lump which wasn’t visible and that was not painful.

Over the following 3 or 4 months I had it monitored and discovered that it had grown rapidly. When the ultrasound confirmed that it had become large, the doctor advised me that it should be removed. I wondered how they were going to remove it. The thought of a surgical procedure cutting open my breast and removing the fibroadenoma was a rather shocking thought for me.

During this time, the fibroadenoma had become very big. It was now visible when I was wearing necklines. Then I read an article on echotherapy, and sent a request for more information to the center about it. At that time, echotherapy was a relatively new technology, but I had no concern as I thought this ultrasound technique would be much more preferable rather than surgery and the thought of irreversible scars and potential cavities in my breast.

I decided to arrange an appointment with the echotherapy center. The treatment was not unpleasant, only the lying position without moving was a little uncomfortable. The procedure lasted about one hour, I thought it would be worse! My appointment was on a Friday and I went home immediately after the procedure, my breasts were slightly swollen and a bit warm but otherwise everything was normal.

After one or two weeks, the fibroadenoma started to shrink and has continued becoming smaller and smaller since then. Now, it is only 2 cm. I cannot feel it anymore and it is not painful. I would recommend the treatment with echotherapy, even if the fibroadenoma is not physically painful. Unconsciously, it is troublesome to know it is there, maybe growing. This feeling has disappeared now and it is a great relief. My gynecologist also declares that surgery would have not been done so well and that there would have been scars. I am thus very happy. I am also surprised that echotherapy is not yet widely available.

When I was 14 I was diagnosed with a lump. At first I was told that it was a fatty cyst. During my periods it became firmer and also unpleasant. But I didn’t think that it would had to be removed. And when I realised it was nothing serious it was clear for me that I was going to leave it in there. I didn’t want my breast touched for this. I don’t know exactly how big the lump was at that time, but you could see it at any rate. Later on it was noticed by my partner but I just spoke openly about it. I went around with it for a long time, until I was about 30 years old, when my gynecologist said: it needs to be taken out. The lump had probably grown to 3.5 cm and she thought it could be something serious. I then underwent a biopsy and I was told it was a fibroadenoma which was benign and would remain benign. At that time, I had definitely decided against an operation.

I then read in the newspaper, by chance, that a fibroadenoma can be reduced in size by echotherapy without surgery. I said to myself: no general anesthetic and no surgery – I’ll have this. Even though I had no difficulties with the lump, I still thought it was better to be treated as long as surgery wasn’t involved. I then found out more information at the echotherapy center and made an appointment.
On the day of the treatment I was very warmly welcomed. I had no concerns because I knew that nothing much could happen. The doctors had informed me very well beforehand. I could have had a tranquilizer injection but I decided against it. I have no problem lying still. This is important since if you move, the machine shuts down for safety reasons and it takes a little longer as it has to be restarted. When ultrasounds are applied it’s a little warm, it pinches a little but it’s not really a problem. And I am quite sensitive to pain but it was only a little pinch. Straight after the treatment I was able to do everything, I didn’t need to be particularly careful about anything and I was able to put my bra on again as normal. You could see a small bruise but that was all.

Before the treatment I hadn’t examined the fibroadenoma again myself at all. I knew that it was nothing serious so I wasn’t interested in it. But then some time after the treatment I noticed that it had clearly reduced in size.
The fibroadenoma has now become significantly smaller. Of the 3.5 cm there is probably still 1 cm. The tension has completely gone. The tissue also feels completely different; it’s no longer firm but soft. It is simply more pleasant.
I would definitely do it again; when it gets to a certain size it makes a lot of sense.

I discovered the lump by chance. It was in 2009, I was lying in bed at night and turned onto my side. I put my hand on the side of my breast and suddenly felt it. I was really afraid. I knew that it could be cancer and that I needed to have it examined.
Initially my gynecologist did an ultrasound scan and after that she said that she was quite sure that there was nothing to worry about. But I was so afraid that I had a biopsy done anyway.

When it was clear that it was a fibroadenoma, my gynecologist told me that it could be removed but she also thought that during pregnancy that would change because of the hormones. I was sure that I wanted a child and thought that I would wait and the lump would probably shrink. I am so afraid of operations that I would do anything to avoid surgery! I couldn’t help but checking the lump the whole time to see if it was changing. I was very scared.

Then my son was born and for a long time I didn’t notice any change in the lump. I didn’t breast feed, it just didn’t happen. Some time after the birth I started to take the pill for the first time in my life. This was actually just because I had skin problems. It worked great for that but the fibroadenoma suddenly appeared to have grown a lot. During a routine examination my gynaecologist told me that it had become much bigger. I think it was 3.6 cm. And then she really pushed me to have it removed. I didn’t want this at any cost. Apart from the fact that I was so afraid of the operation, my son was now there and I was afraid that I wouldn’t be fit after the operation and couldn’t be there for him. He loves to have a cuddle and to play; I wouldn’t have been able to do that. So I tried to delay the operation but it became clear that it needed to be done. I had already made an appointment for the operation. At the time I almost went mad and thought I wouldn’t be able to go through with it.
I had already been looking for other treatment options. On the internet I saw something about echotherapy – I was really thrilled. I understood that this was not an operation and I felt able to go through with it. I called my echotherapy center, cancelled the operation and took an appointment for echotherapy treatment.

Just before the treatment I wondered whether it would really work that well and on the day I was very nervous. Then I thought: what would it have been like with an operation if I was so afraid as I was? I had to lie on my side and the machine was placed on the outside of my breast, on the skin. From time to time I felt a prick, that was all. It was all over in about an hour. My breast was a little swollen and when the anesthetic wore off I had a burning sensation. But I experienced no pain at all. I was able to play with my son again as usual straight after the treatment and hold him in my arms. That was very important for me. I was thrilled that I hadn’t needed an operation.

Within a month or so, I felt that the fibroadenoma had decreased in size. And after four months I was with my gynaecologist and she said that it was now only 1.1 cm, smaller than a pea! The gynaecologist was delighted with the result and I was totally satisfied: the fibroadenoma really had shrunk much more quickly than I had expected. I would choose this option again without hesitation.

I was always having pain. I was about 16. The pains were quite irregular and at one stage I went to the doctor’s office. Of course I was worried that it might be cancer. It’s not funny when you don’t know what it is. My mother was also around and was worried. The doctor identified a lump and I got an appointment with the hospital for a core biopsy. I was then told that it was a fibroadenoma.

I was afraid that the lump would continue to grow as I had already noticed that it had gotten bigger and bigger. By that time it was also visible. It was particularly prominent when lying down. It didn’t look pretty! The lump was 3.9 cm in size, I think. I thought it was bound to get really bad at some stage. That’s why I wanted the lump treated at all cost. The doctor said that it could be removed quickly. I didn’t want it cut out, though, as my scars never heal well. I had also been epileptic when I was younger and don’t react well to anaesthetic, which were all reasons against an operation.

Then my mother found something on the Internet about echotherapy and told me about it.

I was comforted in that no scars or wrinkles are left after echotherapy and that one breast doesn’t look any different from the other afterwards. It was quite clear to me that I wanted to have this done.

But on the day of the treatment I was quite nervous, as I didn’t really know whether I would be in pain. There was some tugging at a particular point during the treatment. It did hurt, but only for a short time.

After the treatment I had a couple of bruises but that was not so bad. I did all the things I normally do every day.

I then noticed for the first time that the lump had shrunk and at the follow-up examination after six months it was visible that it had already halved in size. And now it also looks better. I thought it was good that there were no scars and no wound which could have become infected.

On the other side I have another fibroadenoma and would also like to have this treated using echotherapy.