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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Author Spotlight: Integrating Ultrasound Imaging with Biochemical Markers for Thyroid Disease Diagnosis
Published on: February 9, 2024
Does sedation offer better outcomes than local anaesthesia for thyroid FNA in adult patients?
R M Kholmatov1, H S Khadra1, F Murad1
1Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Objective:
To examine the potential benefits of sedation in adults undergoing fine needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules.
Methods:
This retrospective study compared the outcomes of sedated and non-sedated FNA patients.
Results:
A total of 860 patients underwent 1698 FNAs of thyroid nodules. The mean patient age was 52.4±14.4 years, and 80.2% of patients were women. The non-sedated group consisted of 782 patients with 1543 (93.5%) FNA procedures. The sedated group consisted of 66 patients who underwent 107 (6.5%) FNAs. There was no statistical difference between these groups with respect to age, gender, nodule size, nodule vascularity, non-diagnostic sample rate and post FNA hematoma (P > .05).
Conclusions:
Performing FNA of thyroid nodules in adult patients under sedation is not associated with a higher diagnostic yield or lower bleeding rate when compared to local anesthesia. Sedation should be judiciously used on only very anxious patients due to the increased overall cost.
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