Safety and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation of benign thyroid nodules in patients with a history of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), permanent pacemakers (PPMs), and implantable cardiac monitors (ICMs)

Journal article

Yaser Y Bashumeel, E. Tsakiris, Sriti Donthi, Anas AlSelek, S. Noureldine, Emad Kandil
Gland surgery, 2026

Semantic Scholar DOI PubMedCentral PubMed

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APA Click to copy
Bashumeel, Y. Y., Tsakiris, E., Donthi, S., AlSelek, A., Noureldine, S., & Kandil, E. (2026). Safety and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation of benign thyroid nodules in patients with a history of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), permanent pacemakers (PPMs), and implantable cardiac monitors (ICMs). Gland Surgery.

Chicago/Turabian Click to copy
Bashumeel, Yaser Y, E. Tsakiris, Sriti Donthi, Anas AlSelek, S. Noureldine, and Emad Kandil. “Safety and Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation of Benign Thyroid Nodules in Patients with a History of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs), Permanent Pacemakers (PPMs), and Implantable Cardiac Monitors (ICMs).” Gland surgery (2026).

MLA Click to copy
Bashumeel, Yaser Y., et al. “Safety and Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation of Benign Thyroid Nodules in Patients with a History of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs), Permanent Pacemakers (PPMs), and Implantable Cardiac Monitors (ICMs).” Gland Surgery, 2026.

BibTeX Click to copy

@article{yaser2026a,
  title = {Safety and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation of benign thyroid nodules in patients with a history of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), permanent pacemakers (PPMs), and implantable cardiac monitors (ICMs)},
  year = {2026},
  journal = {Gland surgery},
  author = {Bashumeel, Yaser Y and Tsakiris, E. and Donthi, Sriti and AlSelek, Anas and Noureldine, S. and Kandil, Emad}
}

Abstract

Background Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has emerged as an effective, minimally invasive treatment option for benign thyroid nodules. However, safety in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), permanent pacemakers (PPMs), and implantable cardiac monitors (ICMs) is unclear, given theoretical risks of electromagnetic interference (EMI). As the use of both RFA and CIEDs continues to increase, establishing evidence-based safety guidance for this population is essential. This study aimed to evaluate the safety of RFA for benign thyroid nodules in patients with CIEDs. Methods This retrospective study included 7 patients with a history of ICDs, ICMs, or PPMs and benign thyroid nodules who underwent RFA. All CIEDs were interrogated both before and after the procedure. A magnet was placed over ICDs, and electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring was performed to detect arrhythmias or mode switching. Outcomes included the incidence of post-RFA complications, including possible cardiac implant malfunctions and volume reduction rate (VRR) at 6 months. Results The mean age of the patients was 72.1±12.5 years, with 71.4% of the patients being female. The mean VRR at 6 months was 73.8%±24.9%. No peri-procedural complications occurred, and no patient demonstrated clinically significant EMI, inappropriate sensing or pacing, arrhythmias, device resets, or structural lead damage. All patients tolerated the procedure without adverse events. Conclusions RFA appears to be a safe and effective treatment for benign thyroid nodules in patients with a history of ICDs, ICMs, and PPMs. Our experience demonstrated the safety of RFA and supported its utility in this high-risk population when performing these procedures with appropriate monitoring.