Radiofrequency ablation of thyroid nodules: prospective cost-effectiveness analysis in comparison to conventional thyroidectomy

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to compare the total costs of surgery and radiofrequency (RF) ablation for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective randomized study comparing cases treated with US-guided RF ablation (cases) and surgery (control). They were selected and allocated to groups (thyroidectomy or radioablation) by permuted block randomization in blocks of five cases each. RESULTS: Five cases of RF Ablation were compared with five cases of thyroidectomies conducted in the same period. Similar complication rates were observed in both groups. Shorter operating time and hospital stay were observed for the RF group. In the evaluation of the total cost between procedures, radioblation represented 76% of the cost of partial thyroidectomy. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that radioablation has a competitive cost, making it an effective alternative in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules.