LASER THERMAL ABLATION OF BENIGN THYROID NODULES AS AN EFFECTIVE, SAFE AND MINIMALLY INVASIVE METHOD FOR TREATING...

To search for effective and safe methods aimed at reducing the frequency of surgical treatment for nodular thyroid pathology. 1999-2019 literature review conducted using NLM databases. There is more and more evidence in the literature on the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive treatments for thyroid nodular disease. Based on the literature data, it was revealed that the most effective technique for minimally invasive treatment is laser thermal ablation of thyroid nodules under visual control. This technique can be considered an alternative to surgical intervention in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules and, in most cases, leads to a decrease or complete disappearance of the nodule, clinical manifestations, or cosmetic defects. Unlike surgical treatment, it is practically devoid of the likelihood of formidable complications and, as a rule, passes without any threatening consequences for the patient. While the use of laser thermal ablation is expanding, the international medical community has begun to incorporate this technique into treatment guidelines and is making efforts to disseminate it in general clinical practice. Since the method of laser thermal ablation can be considered an effective alternative to surgical intervention for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules, it is necessary to widely introduce it into the general clinical practice in Russia and algorithms for providing medical care to patients with nodular goiter. The introduction of imaging-guided laser thermal ablation into clinical practice and its inclusion in the algorithms for the provision of medical care to patients with thyroid nodular pathology will significantly improve the quality and availability of medical care for patients with thyroid nodular pathology.