Table 2.
Clinical Background and Patients' Personal Reasons for Seeking RFA Treatment (N = 277)
| Relevant clinical background | Number of patients | % |
|---|---|---|
| Documented external recommendation for thyroid surgery | 214 | 77.2 |
| Symptom score ≥4 (VAS) | 110 | 40 |
| Nodule visible with neck in normal position | 122 | 44 |
| Nodule visible with neck extended | 51 | 18.6 |
| Significant recent growth of nodule | 80 | 28.8 |
| Hyperthyroid patients with toxic nodules | 40 | 14.4 |
| Most frequently expressed personal reasons | ||
| “I don't want thyroid surgery to be performed” (unrelated to certain fears) | 141 | 51 |
| “I have normal thyroid function and do not want to take a medication” | 136 | 49 |
| Doctor recommended total thyroidectomy | 33 | 11.9 |
| History of thyroid surgery | 17 | 6.1 |
| Fear of surgery and/or general anesthesia | 15 | 5.4 |
| Fear of voice change | 15 | 5.4 |
| Negative experience with thyroid surgery by a family member or by a friend | 13 | 4.7 |
| Relevant comorbidities | 13 | 4.7 |
| Cannot afford to stay away from home for longer at the moment | 13 | 4.7 |
| Recommendation to “avoid lifting” post surgery is not realistic at the moment | 12 | 4.3 |
| Feeling of being too old or too young for thyroid surgery | 7 | 2.5 |
VAS, visual analog scale.