Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland at the front of your throat. An integral part of your endocrine system, your thyroid creates hormones that regulate your metabolism and perform numerous other essential tasks.
Some people develop small lumps of abnormal tissue on the thyroid. While almost always benign (not cancerous), thyroid nodules should always be evaluated by a medical specialist.
Thermal ablation is an excellent treatment for removing thyroid nodules. At Elk Medical in the Crown Heights community of Brooklyn, New York, Saka Kazeem, MD, can help determine if thermal ablation is the best approach for your needs.
Thyroid nodules are abnormal growths on your thyroid. You can have one nodule or many, and they can be solid or fluid-filled. Most people with thyroid nodules don’t experience symptoms or problems.
When symptoms are present, they might include:
Cancer is rare in thyroid nodules, but it can occur. That’s why it’s crucial to work with a specialist if you experience any of the above changes.
Researchers haven’t yet determined the exact cause of thyroid nodules. However, being overweight or obese significantly increases your risk, as does smoking. Some research suggests people who take birth control pills or statin medications also have an elevated risk.
Not everyone with thyroid nodules needs treatment. If your nodules are small or few in number and not causing symptoms, you can take a watchful waiting approach and come in for periodic monitoring.
It’s also possible to treat thyroid nodules with radioactive iodine. As your thyroid absorbs the iodine, the nodules shrink and symptoms abate. Surgery is also an option for large nodules, or when your specialist is concerned about the risk of the nodules becoming cancerous.
Thermal ablation uses radiofrequency energy to heat the targeted tissue. The heat damages the abnormal tissue, which dies and is eliminated from your body.
Patients prefer thermal ablation over surgery because there’s a lower risk of complications and often an easier recovery process. Thermal ablation can also be less expensive than surgery.
Thermal ablation is an outpatient procedure, so you can head home the same day.
To start, we inject a numbing medication to reduce sensation in the treatment area. If you experience any discomfort or abnormal sensations during the visit, alert Dr. Kazeem so he can make adjustments.
Dr. Kazeem places the tip of the ablation probe into the abnormal thyroid tissue. The device creates high-frequency waves that penetrate the targeted tissue.
The process usually takes less than an hour, with some additional time to prepare and monitor you for a short time afterward.
One reason why thermal ablation is such a popular treatment option is the ease of recovery. You likely can resume most of your daily activities right away. You can usually manage any discomfort with over-the-counter pain medications.
If you’d like to avoid taking time off for surgery or having to worry about potential surgical complications, thermal ablation is a great treatment alternative. To explore this option in more detail, call Elk Medical today to schedule a consultation.
