Dr.Guttler’s Patient Thyroid Blog Post: Thyroid RFA for Benign Nodules: Relief of Symptoms is the goal not total Ablation with increased risk of complications.

Thyroid RFA for Benign Nodules: Relief of Symptoms is the goal not total Ablation with increased risk of complications.

The recent use of thyroid RFA for benign nodules has as it’s goal to relief symptoms and improve the cosmetic appearance, not near total ablation.

The fact that everyone from surgeons ,radiologists, and ENT and endocrinologists are jumping on the RFA bandwagon to get in on this exciting alternative to surgery.

However, there is a learning curve which takes 30-100 cases to improve skills.

Also there are articles from experts about how to ablate the residual nodule left after the initial treatment. This technique comes with increased risk of complications.

I am conservative in my approach to treating benign thyroid nodules that are only treated for symptoms or cosmetic issues.

I never treat symptom free benign nodules because “they may grow” in  the future.

DO NOT HARM

If the patient is satisfied with the relief of symptoms no matter how much of the nodule is still not ablated it is a success.

Trying to ablate the unablated areas near the capsule and vital structures is not justified when you are treating a pure benign thyroid nodule when the patient is happy just to improve your statistics.

It is different when you are treating a micropapillary thyroid cancer. The goal must be total ablation. This may take several sessions but the final result must be a negative Cutting needle or FNA biopsy showing no cancer cells.

Also treating Autonomous AFTN and Toxic nodules may also require a more aggressive approach to ablate enough of the overactive nodule to result in a return to normal thyroid function.

For my conservative approach to treating benign thyroid nodules with thyroid RFA call me at

310-393-8860 or email to secure thyroid.manager@thyroid.com

Ask for Alicia

Dr.G.