Looking into laser ablation for benign thyroid nodule

[Marou]

I have a large benign thyroid nodule and would prefer laser ablation to having half my thyroid surgically removed. But at the moment nobody does this procedure. Probably because NICE only approved it this July.

[Clutter]

Marou,

I didn't know laser ablation was an option in the UK. Do you have links to any information about it please?

[Marou in reply to Clutter]

This is useful too: endocrinesurgeon.co.uk/inde...

And it turns out that Dr Morley works in the same (private) clinic.

[Marou]

It's not yet available (is my understanding) because as it's been so newly approved nobody has learnt how to do it. Several teams are in the process of learning. I recently contacted Dr Simon Morley at UCLH who replied saying that he and his team were going to go to Italy soon and that he would be using the procedure at 9 Harley Street. This may be interesting to you: nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg562...

[Clutter in reply to Marou]

Marou,

Thank you

[Rebec]

This procedure will end up being by far less costly than an operation with a stay in hospital, etc.

[Marou in reply to Rebec]

Yes, but I wonder if the NHS will pay for it to be done privately if it's not available on the NHS...

[Rebec in reply to Marou]

I've never heard of anything paid by the NHS to be done privately, have you? I wonder how much this procedure will cost privately and above all, how safe this will be as the nodules, from what I understand, form an integral part of the thyroid glad itself and the laser might destroy part of the glad itself!

I think that if the NHS can be convinced about the safety of this procedure (they wouldn't want to have to pay for "correcting" the bad results, if there were any, of such a procedure.

And BTW do you suffer because of this nodule or not?

[bridge1]

They are doing it now I believe at 9 Harley street !

[Marou]

Yes, I know of a couple of doctors in London who have just learnt the technique. So not experienced yet, which my research tells me is the most important aspect of performing thermal ablation. Since NICE approved this procedure in July 2016, but the NHS can't provide it, I think there's a chance they might pay for this to be done privately or abroad.

[Hidden]

Know this is a bit out of date but looking for info on ultrasound guided treatment with fine needles used with optical fibres where a light is shone and the nodules are neuked, It is on wkaepedia

as widely used in the US - but we don't seem to used ultrasound thyroid ablation here. May be

you know of this type of treatment or can find a reference to it being used from your sources.

Thanks Marou for other info.