Thyroid Nodule Ablation Service
Information for Health Professionals
Ultrasound guided Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Thyroid nodule ablation is an established, minimally invasive treatment for symptomatic benign thyroid nodules as an alternative to surgical hemi or total thyroidectomy. Thermal ablation refers to the heating of a nodule to cause necrosis, followed by nodule shrinkage over 6 to 12 months.
This is typically performed as a day procedure lasting about 45 minutes, we then monitor the patient in the hospital for the following 4 to 6 hours before being discharged home. There is typically no out-of-pocket expense for public-eligible patients.
To refer your patients to an Interventional Radiologist for consideration of thyroid nodule ablation, please send a referral for consultation, including the following:
- Thyroid ultrasound results
- Thyroid fine needle aspirate (FNA) results
- Records of consultations with other specialists (e.g., endocrinology or surgery)
The Thyroid Nodule Ablation Service is staffed by specialist interventional radiologists, headed by Dr Matthew Lukies, as well as an experienced nursing and support team.