How is the ablation performed

The ablation is an outpatient procedure (ambulatory) which means that the patient is discharged from the hospital in a few hours after the procedure. Both radiofrequency (RFA) and microwave (MWA) ablations take about 30-40 minutes.

Firstly, the doctor will numb the area in your neck, so that you won’t feel any pain. Then he will insert a small needle electrode through the skin right into your thyroid nodule. This is performed under ultrasound guidance. This helps to make sure that the electrode is in the right place. After, the doctor switches the ablation device and radiofrequency waves or microwaves transport through the electrode to the targeted tissue of the nodule.

The waves increase the temperature in the tissue. With ultrasound guidance the interventional radiologist will reposition the electrode in order to make sure that the whole tissue of the nodule is ablated. The procedure is completed when the whole nodule is exposed to the waves and the tissue becomes ablated (the cells are dead).

A small bandage is placed on the neck, in the area where the electrode was inserted. No scar remains after the bandage is removed. The patient stays in the hospital for about an hour and then s/he is discharged.

What happens during the ablation

Ablated nodule degenerates and is removed from the body as a waste material over time. About 2-3 weeks after the procedure, you will notice a reduction in the size of the nodule.

Depending on the original size and characteristics of the thyroid nodule, in 3 months after the ablation the size reduces for 40-60%, and within a year, it reduces for up to 90%.

Continue reading:
The advantages of Ablation