Specialties & Services
Endocrine Surgery
The department of Endocrine Surgery specializes in the surgical management of endocrine disorders, including diseases of the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands and neuroendocrine pancreas.
- Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Endocrine Surgery
Our fellowship-trained Endocrine Surgeon uses advanced techniques to provide surgical treatment for conditions including:
- Adrenal Cancer
- Adrenal Gland Tumors
- Goiters (Enlarged Thyroid)
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism
- Parathyroid Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer
- Thyroid Nodules
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Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive medical procedure that treats thyroid nodules. Using ultrasound guided imaging, the nodule is located, allowing the treatment to focus solely on the targeted nodular area. Using a radiofrequency generator, your doctor allows a carefully controlled amount of energy to flow through the electrode into the tissue to ablate the nodule. With the sustained RFA thermal heat, the nodule is degenerated, allowing the degenerated tissue to flow through your body naturally as waste over the course of a few months.
Benefits
- Preserves your healthy thyroid tissue
- Allows your thyroid to function normally without the need for a lifetime of medication
- Minimally invasive procedure
- Performed under local anesthesia
- Performed as an out-patient procedure, which means no downtime or hospitalization
- Shorter recovery times
- No scarring
- Nodule volume reduction overtime
- Low complication rate
- Quality of life
Risks
All treatments and procedures have risks, and these will be discussed in detail with you by your doctor.
- Minor complications can include skin burn, hematoma, and vomiting.
- Major complications are rare but can include: nodule rupture, nodule rupture causing an infection, and voice change. The risk of permanent injury to the voice box nerve causing alteration in the voice is less than 1% (1 in 100).
- Larger nodules may require more than one treatment for effective nodule shrinkage. Your doctor will discuss with you the likelihood of needing additional treatments during your initial assessment.
How To Prepare For The Procedure
To begin the procedure, you will be asked to lie your head on a small cushion, with your neck extended. Two grounding pads will be placed on your thighs. Your doctor will clean and prepare the skin and then administer local anesthesia in the area surrounding your thyroid. You will be able to breathe, swallow and speak normally during the entire procedure.
A thin needle electrode will be inserted directly into the nodule and the doctor will allow a carefully controlled amount of energy to flow into the tissue to ablate (treat) the nodule. Ablative changes to the nodule caused by the treatment can be seen in real-time by the doctors performing the procedure. To ensure that you are handling the procedure well, your doctor may ask you how you are doing and whether you can feel any pain. They can easily adjust if you are uncomfortable at any time.
With the sustained RFA thermal heat, the affected nodule may be permanently destroyed. Your immune system will break down the affected tissue, shrink the nodule, and then let the affected tissue flow through the body naturally as waste. When the procedure is complete, a small bandage will be placed on the treatment site, and ice packs may be used to cool your neck.
Medication
Your healthcare provider will review any of your current medications and provide further instructions if needed. Other than blood thinners, which you will likely need to stop taking a few days prior to the procedure, most medications do not interfere with the procedure.
What to Expect After The Procedure
You will be monitored for a short period of time and then discharged. Please check with your physician before the procedure regarding driving as you may need someone to drive you to and from the procedure. You should be able to return to most of your day-to-day activities almost immediately.
The doctor will remove a thin layer of skin surrounding the cancer. After this has been done, any bleeding will be stopped with an electric cautery machine. You may return to the waiting room or stay in the treatment room while we examine the removed tissue in our laboratory.
What Happens to the Nodules After Procedure
After the procedure, the cells of the treated thyroid nodule are removed by the body's immune system. Most patients notice a reduction in nodule size in just 2 to 3 weeks, with solid nodules taking longer than cystic nodules.
The amount of reduction depends on the original size and nature of the nodules. After three months, the average reduction rate is 40% to 60% and about 60% to 90% reduction rate at the one-year mark.
Years after the procedure, only the scar tissues will remain in the treated area. The nodule around the scar may remain, but this area will be minimized after the procedure. The surrounding healthy thyroid gland will be preserved and will continue to produce thyroid hormone.
Symptoms like difficulty swallowing, pressure or tightness in the throat, or a bulky nodular appearance are typically eliminated or significantly reduced.
For more information about Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation, please visit https://rfaforlife.com/starmed-thyroid-rfa/.
