A method and system of ultrasound imaging includes acquiring ultrasound channel data for a region-of-interest, determining an estimated size of a heat-affected region, identifying a first subset of the ultrasound channel data, and identifying a second subset of the ultrasound channel data. The method and system includes generating a pilot trace based on the first subset of ultrasound channel data and comparing the second subset of the ultrasound channel data to the pilot trace to determine delay errors for the second subset of the ultrasound channel data. The method and system includes determining that the heat-affected region has experienced a temperature-induced tissue change based on the delay errors and the estimated size of the heat affected region, and presenting information indicating that the heat-affected region has experienced the temperature-induced tissue change.
