New Procedure Promised Low-Risk To Remove Thyroid Nodules
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Thyroid nodules are a common health problem that are usually benign, but occasionally have to be taken out.
While the procedure used to mean a risky surgery, that's not the case anymore, reports CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez.
Paula Riley is a healthy, active woman who, like more than half of all people over age 50, has thyroid nodules.
Her doctor has been monitoring them for nearly 20 years. They started out small but lately, they've been getting bigger.
"I was having trouble breathing, swallowing, sometimes food would get stuck like I needed a Heimlich," said Riley.
Even though they were benign and hard to see from the outside, Reily's doctor thought they were causing enough symptoms that they needed to come out. That usually means surgery to remove most or all of the thyroid gland, which have some serious side effects.
"There's lifelong hormone replacement, it can also damage the voice box and impact the patient's calcium levels," said Dr. Catherine Sinclair of Mount Sinai West.
All that and one more thing kept Riley away from surgery.
"Your voice can change and I like my voice," said Riley.
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Sinclair, director of head and neck surgery at Mount Sinai West, told Riley about a recently approved, minimally invasive technique that didn't require surgery at all.
It uses radio frequency to get rid of her thyroid nodules. Under ultrasound guidance, a thin needle probe is inserted into the nodule where it emits radio waves like a tiny microwave oven.
"The heat from the radio frequency produces scar tissue and as it contracts, it causes the nodule to shrink and even disappear," said Sinclair.
It's only been three weeks since Riley procedure but already Sinclair can see the nodule shrinking on scans, and Riley can feel the difference.
"I feel good," said Riley after the procedure. "A little tender but my voice hasn't changed at all."
That voice issue is important because the nerves to the vocal cords are right near these nodules. Sinclair uses special nerve monitoring to make sure the radio waves aren't harming those voice nerves.
