Bassett Medical Center offers new thyroid treatment option

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Bassett Medical Center now offers radiofrequency thyroid-ablation treatment for patients with non-cancerous thyroid growths

That makes it the only location outside of New York City offering the treatment in the state, according to a press release from Bassett Healthcare Network.

The non-invasive treatment is an outpatient procedure that uses an ultrasound-guided needle to deliver an electrical current to benign thyroid growths. The heat from the electricity shrinks the nodules. The treatment offers faster recovery, fewer complications, and no scarring. Patients can usually return to normal activities within three days and usually don’t need thyroid medication after the procedure.

“Most hospitals do not have the technology needed to perform radiofrequency ablation,” Dr. Anthony Ferrara, director of Interventional Endocrinology and Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, said. “Because of this, the most common way to treat both cancerous and non-cancerous thyroid growths is with surgery. This can be complicated and always includes a risk of nerve damage to the vocal cords or parathyroid glands. Surgery also requires a hospital stay. Plus, even after surgery, lifelong medication is often needed to supplement the thyroid hormone. Recovery after surgery can take several weeks.”

With radiofrequency ablation, patients typically see a decrease in the size of their growth within two to four months. The procedure is also quick. Bassett’s first ablation treatment took 11 minutes after setup, and the patient was able to return to work the next day, Ferrara said.

The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, controls bodily functions including heart rate and how fast the body burns calories. Growths commonly form on the thyroid as people age. While most are non-cancerous, they can still cause problems with swallowing and speech and may require removal. Experts estimate as many as 50 percent of Americans will develop thyroid nodules by age 60.

“Over the last three years, before we acquired this new technology, Bassett performed more than 170 procedures to remove thyroid growths,” Ferrara said. “We expect that if COVID-19 had not curtailed many elective surgeries for part of that time, we likely would have seen many more. There is a huge need for this treatment. Now, not only can we accommodate more patients because treatment is simpler and does not require a hospital stay. People can receive this much more sophisticated, less-invasive procedure close to home. Offering this treatment at Bassett is a huge win for patients in our network’s area and beyond.”

Bassett Medical Center is part of the Bassett Healthcare Network, which includes five corporately affiliated hospitals, over two dozen community-based health centers, more than 20 school-based health centers, and two skilled-nursing facilities.