“Hospital CUF Tejo was the first private health unit in the country to perform percutaneous microwave thyroid ablation for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules. This innovative, minimally invasive technique, without resorting to surgery or hospitalization, guarantees effectiveness in reducing the volume of nodules, preserving voice quality and leaving no scars.

This innovative treatment, alternative to conventional options – such as surgery and radiofrequency – allows treating all types of nodules in a minimally invasive way, with greater comfort and safety, as it guarantees less risk of burns and bleeding. Furthermore, because it is an alternative to surgery, it has the aesthetic added value of not leaving marks.

In a direct comparison with the radiofrequency ablation technique, Leonor Fernandes, a radiologist at Hospital CUF Tejo, emphasizes that, in microwave treatment, in addition to the lower rate of associated complications, such as bleeding and burns, “this new technique allows gain in the total time of each procedure – which lasts less than half an hour, and thus makes it possible to treat larger nodules in a single session”.

This technique, which was possible by the most recent technological advances, is performed under ultrasound guidance, through the percutaneous introduction of a very thin and easy-to-handle antenna that is connected to an energy generating equipment. The CUF radiologist also adds that this new treatment uses only local anesthesia and light sedation, the patient is always awake and communicating with the intervention team responsible throughout the procedure, “thus allowing the monitoring and treatment of any slight pain and ensure the preservation of voice quality during the intervention”.

Before starting this treatment, it is imperative to perform an ultrasound to assess whether the nodule meets the necessary requirements, “the selection should be judicious and preferably the result of a multidisciplinary team’s opinion dedicated to nodular thyroid pathology”. Among the applicability criteria for this treatment, at the present time, there are benign nodules, with a dimension greater than 2 centimeters, with good ultrasound visualization, symptomatic and/or unsightly.

Nodular thyroid disease is extremely common in general population, especially at older ages and in females. “There are people who, for example, being afraid of the operation, or because they cannot risk a possible change in their voice or because they do not want a scar on their neck, rule out the possibility of having surgery, and, therefore, it is with satisfaction that I see the arrival of this innovative technique, which allows us to have another option on the table, for the discussion of personalized treatment of each patient. I believe that this is a promising technique worldwide and, clearly, also in Portugal”, shares the specialist.”