Due to the fact that thyroid surgeries leave a permanent incision scar on the neck, the patient has to use synthetic hormone drugs for life after the surgery, and the risks associated with anesthesia, many people look away from the surgery. For this reason, the nodules of some patients can reach very large sizes because they are not treated. In fact, doing all these side effects and risks for a benign nodule is an approach that is questioned in today’s modern medicine.
New non-surgical treatment methods (percutaneous ablation methods) have been developed in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules. The word “percutaneous” means to be inserted through the skin with a needle, while “ablation” means the vaporization of the nodule with the effect of heat. With this method, no incision is made, through only a needle hole is treatment is performed. Percutaneous ablation methods are a very good alternative to surgical operation and there are experienced interventional radiologists who successfully apply non-surgical thyroid nodule treatments (percutaneous ablation) in our country. In this method, the nodule is entered with various needles under local anesthesia and ultrasound guidance, and the nodule is destroyed by heating with laser, radiofrequency or microwave energy (thermal ablation). Thermal ablation methods in major thyroid nodules; RF Ablation , Microwave Ablation and Laser Ablation methods. The first method of choice in cystic (liquid-containing) nodules is treatment with alcohol injection ( Chemical ablation / Ethanol Ablation ). Patients can return to their normal lives within a few hours after thyroid nodule treatment with modern methods, painless and without scalpel. In addition, after non-surgical treatment, it does not have to use synthetic thyroid hormones for life. Therefore, the first preferred method in benign nodules should be non-surgical modern methods. Classical surgical treatments should be applied in the second stage if necessary.
Percutaneous ablation method is actually very similar to thyroid biopsy. In biopsy, we enter the nodule with a needle and take the cells out, but in ablation treatment we enter it with a special needle, after local anesthesia, we heat the nodule in the thyroid gland to evaporate it. After this treatment, which is quite safe in experienced hands, the patient can immediately return to his normal life and leave the clinic on foot.
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Mahir Atasoy
Interventional Radiology
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