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From ablation to operation: Unraveling the surgical outcomes and complications of thyroidectomy after radiofrequency ablation

From ablation to operation: Unraveling the surgical outcomes and complications of thyroidectomy after radiofrequency ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive treatment for thyroid nodules; however, concerns exist regarding its impact on subsequent thyroid surgery. We compared surgical outcomes and complications between patients undergoing thyroidectomy after radiofrequency ablation (post-radiofrequency ablation thyroidectomy group) and those without prior radiofrequency ablation (non-radiofrequency ablation thyroidectomy group).

Conclusion

Our work found no differences in outcomes or safety in patients undergoing thyroidectomy with or without previous radiofrequency ablation treatment, potentiating the post-radiofrequency ablation thyroidectomy group as a safe management option. Accordingly, this may reassure both clinicians and patients of the safety of radiofrequency ablation in treating patients with thyroid nodules. Richard Harding (Phoenix, AZ): Is your treatment failure rate associated with the amount of energy delivered to those nodules? How many Joules were delivered to the nodules that failed RFA or had regrowth? Peter Issa: Unfortunately, we do not have the power or the Joules delivered per nodule, so we cannot make any conclusions on that. Nonetheless, we have been collecting energy delivered per nodule data prospectively for the past few months

Citation

Hussein, M., Toraih, E., Issa, P. P., Omar, M., Aboueisha, M., Buti, Y., Issa, C. P., Albuck, A. L., Cironi, K., Attia, A. S., LaForteza, A. C., Shama, M., & Kandil, E. (2024). From ablation to operation: Unraveling the surgical outcomes and complications of thyroidectomy after radiofrequency ablation. Surgery, 175(1), 146–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surg.2023.09.025

Key Words

Radiofrequency ablation, RFA, thyroid surgery, surgical, thyroidectomy

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