New thyroid treatment ends years of suffering

Tawam Hospital uses non-invasive method to treat elderly man who could not swallow

An elderly patient in Abu Dhabi had his benign thyroid nodules treated with a radiofrequency and microwave ablation procedure.

The procedure on the 75-year-old man was carried out at Tawam Hospital, a facility in Al Ain that is part of the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) network. The patient was discharged just an hour after the treatment.

“I have been suffering for several years, being unable to perform basic functions such as swallowing. Following the procedure, my life has changed substantially,” the patient said.

Traditionally, surgery has been the only treatment for symptomatic and enlarging thyroid nodules, and patients would inevitably end up having total or hemi thyroidectomy followed by life-long hormonal replacement therapy.

Breakthrough

Dr Bachar Afandi, chief of endocrinology at Tawam, said: “This will change the management of benign thyroid nodules when surgery is considered too risky. Patients who undergo this procedure are extremely unlikely to require permanent thyroid hormone medication.”

Dr Jamal AlKoteesh, chairman of clinical imaging at the hospital, and Seha’s head of interventional radiology clinical reference, said: “Thyroid nodules are very common and, although many people will never require any intervention for their nodules, there is a significant minority who will seek treatment due to symptoms. I expect radiofrequency ablation to be a transformative new option.”

Suitable cases

Thyroid Radiofrequency and Microwave Ablation should be opted for patients at high surgical risk and those that display thyroid compression symptoms. The procedure is also recommended for patients exhibiting cosmesis, or appearance of a lump or bulge in the neck.