Quality of Life Following Thermal Ablation of Benign Thyroid Nodules: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors' conclusion
QOL generally improves between three and six months after BTN ablation, although variability is seen across thyroid-specific QOL domains. Study comparability was limited by inconsistent numeric reporting and heterogenous follow-up intervals.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing thermal ablation (radiofrequency, laser, microwave) of benign thyroid nodules; studies reporting quality of life (QOL) with validated instruments13 studies
- Comparison
- QOL after vs before thermal ablation of benign thyroid nodules (BTNs)
- Outcome
- QOL measured by validated instruments; pooled MDs for ThyPRO scales
Methodological detailsrandom-effects model, inverse-variance approach, Searched through December 8, 2025; 72 articles screened, Included studies: 3 RCTs, 3 cohort, 7 pre/post; baseline sample sizes 14 to 120, Ablation: radiofrequency (7 studies), laser (3), microwave (3)
- Random-effects model
- Inverse-variance approach
- Searched through December 8, 2025; 72 articles screened
- Included studies: 3 RCTs, 3 cohort, 7 pre/post; baseline sample sizes 14 to 120
- Ablation: radiofrequency (7 studies), laser (3), microwave (3)
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
QOL after BTN thermal ablation
Improvement in overall QOL
8 of 9 studies
Improvement in compressive QOL
4 of 5 studies
Improvement in cosmetic QOL
2 of 4 studies
Original publication
Quality of Life Following Thermal Ablation of Benign Thyroid Nodules: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Thyroid. Published 10 November 2025. doi:10.
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