FROM SURGERY TO RADIOFREQUENCY: A REVOLUTION FOR THE THYROID.
The treatment of thyroid conditions is perpetually evolving.
In less than 10 years, we have been witnessing surgical de-escalation and ever more extensive preservation of the thyroid. Indeed, in many cases of thyroid nodules (goitre or nodule(s)), total removal of the thyroid by surgery tends to decrease in frequency. The drawback of total thyroidectomy is that it makes it necessary to take lifelong replacement therapy, because it is not possible to live without thyroid hormones.
More and more cases can be treated by a simple lobectomy (a single lobe, or one half of the thyroid). This approach makes it possible to avoid additional treatment, because the remaining lobe is sufficient for the production of thyroid hormones.
Thyroid surgery also raises a cosmetic issue related to the neck scar.
This is why extra-cervical approaches such as “transoral thyroid surgery” (TOETVA) or “axillary robotic surgery” make it possible to avoid the cosmetic risk of an unsightly scar.
The radiofrequency technique is a new technique that destroys thyroid nodules using a simple needle that delivers energy and heat. This technique is performed percutaneously (through the skin and with no visible scar). The nodule can thus be reduced by 40% to 90% in 3 to 6 months. The effect is not immediate, but the technique is performed without general anaesthesia and makes it possible to avoid surgery.
For any nodule (simple or toxic) and goitre, it is recommended to discuss each case with an endocrinologist, a surgeon and a radiologist.
See also: Thyroid surgery · Thyroid ultrasound
