Treatment of Thyroid Tumors with Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA): Effectiveness and Advantages

Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) is an advanced treatment method for thyroid tumors, using heat to destroy the tumor. This method is highly regarded for its low invasiveness and high safety. RFA offers numerous benefits compared to traditional methods. Let’s explore the details of RFA, its procedure, and its outstanding advantages.

Overview of Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) Method

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Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) is a method that uses heat to destroy tumors. The heat is generated by the friction of ions in the tissue when subjected to high-frequency alternating current, within the sound wave range.

This method uses an electrode placed at the center of the tumor, with temperatures maintained between 60 – 100 degrees Celsius. The current is transmitted from the machine through a needle electrode, and radio waves are transmitted into the needle tip to generate heat. This heat dries the surrounding tissue, dehydrates the cells, and causes necrosis of the tumor, reducing the volume of the thyroid nodule.

The treatment time with RFA is very quick, only 15 – 30 minutes depending on the patient, with an effectiveness rate of reducing the tumor size by up to 95%.

Advantages of Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) Method RFA is the most modern treatment method for thyroid tumors, offering numerous benefits:

• No surgery required
• No scars
• No hospitalization needed
• Maximally preserves healthy thyroid tissue, only affects the tumor
• No need for hormone medication after treatment
• Quick treatment time, only 15 – 30 minutes
• Local anesthesia, patients can talk during the procedure
• Minimizes the risk of complications
• Safe, highly effective
• Patients can resume normal activities immediately after treatment
• This method is applied worldwide

At Dr. Tu Tuyen Giap Specialist: RFA has been researched for many years and is considered a definitive, safe treatment method with a low risk rate, only about 1-2%. Some complications may occur after treatment, such as mild skin burns, temporary hoarseness, or recurrent nerve damage that recovers after 3 – 6 months.

Indications and Contraindications for RFA Method Indications:

• Benign thyroid tumors with symptoms: neck pain, swallowing difficulties, discomfort, cough, feeling of a lump in the neck
• Tumors causing compression, affecting aesthetics
• Multinodular goiter, hot nodules, toxic nodules causing hyperthyroidism
• Mixed tumors recurring after alcohol treatment
• Recurrent lymph nodes after cancer surgery
• Patients who do not want or cannot undergo surgery

Contraindications:

• Thyroid nodules in pregnant women
• Primary thyroid cancer
• Patients with severe heart disease
• Patients with contralateral vocal cord paralysis

RFA Procedure Preparation: Comprehensive patient assessment, determining the location and size of the tumor through ultrasound, informing the patient about benefits and risks. Anesthesia: Sterilize the area and inject local anesthesia into the thyroid tumor area. RFA Procedure: Insert the RFA needle into the tumor, directly affecting the cells to shrink the tumor. Post-Treatment Monitoring: Patients need to be monitored for about 1-2 hours after the treatment.

Post-Treatment Care with RFA After treatment, patients can resume normal activities but should maintain a suitable diet and exercise regimen to support the recovery process. Foods that are good for the thyroid include salmon, eggs, yogurt, berries, and leafy green vegetables. It is advisable to limit foods high in iodine, animal offal, soy products, sugar, and stimulants.

Dr. Tu Tuyen Giap Specialist – Reliable Address for RFA Thyroid Treatment An Hoa Thyroid Clinic, led by Dr. Tu, is proud to be a pioneer in applying the RFA technology, providing high efficiency and safety for patients. With high expertise, modern equipment, and dedicated care processes, An Hoa has gained absolute trust from numerous patients. Contact Dr. Pham Anh Tu Specialist via hotline 0869.507.794 for specific support on thyroid treatment and free examination policies for all services.