Microwave thyroid ablation is a minimally invasive treatment technique that involves the intervention of a 1.4 mm diameter probe into thyroid nodules under precise ultrasound guidance, emitting high-frequency microwaves, generating local high temperature and instantly ablating the lesions, with the advantages of small trauma, short time, no scarring, safety and precision. It is a minimally invasive treatment technique recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for benign thyroid lesions. Clinical indications of microwave ablation Microwave ablation is suitable for nodules of 0.4-6 cm with clear borders without calcification under ultrasound, including thyroid cysts, thyroid adenomas and nodular goiters. These nodules are benign lesions, and microwave ablation is safe and thorough and not easy to recur. For lesions with calcified foci on ultrasound or other lesions with high suspicion of malignancy, complete surgical excision is still recommended because they require clearance of cervical lymph nodes. Although microwave ablation is a minimally invasive procedure with little trauma and short time, it is still necessary to complete various preoperative tests, such as blood pressure, electrocardiogram, coagulation function, thyroid function, etc., to exclude contraindications to surgery. Most importantly, before microwave ablation, patients should undergo ultrasound-guided minimally invasive aspiration biopsy to obtain pathological results and confirm that the lesion is benign before microwave ablation is performed to ensure that the lesion is ablated symptomatically and safely. Patients should pay attention to rest the night before the operation, and do not need to completely abstain from eating and drinking on the day of the operation, only to remove the jewelry worn in advance and clean the skin. Microwave ablation is performed with the patient lying flat on the operating table and the skin is anesthetized with 1% lidocaine infiltration. The surgeon uses a 0.88 mm diameter probe, and under the guidance of 3D imaging ultrasound, precisely intervenes the ablation probe into the thyroid lesion, presses the switch, and the probe head then emits high frequency microwave, which triggers the ionic shock and friction of the cells in the lesion around the probe, generating a local high temperature of 65~120 degrees in a very short time, causing rapid dehydration and necrosis of the tumor tissue, and effectively killing the tumor tissue. The tumor tissues are rapidly killed. The surgeon continuously adjusts the probe position and ablates all lesions one by one under ultrasound guidance. Depending on the size of the lesion, the whole ablation process takes about 15 to 30 minutes. The ablated necrotic tissues will be gradually absorbed and reduced by the body to achieve the goal of eliminating lesions without incision and with minimal trauma. Post-operative observation of microwave ablation After the procedure, patients should use an ice pack to cover the surgical area3 and avoid strenuous activities of the neck to prevent bleeding. Ultrasound should be repeated at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the procedure to observe the absorption of necrotic lesions after ablation. Technical advantages of microwave ablation 1. High safety: the whole process is guided by high-definition visual ultrasound, precise scanning and locking of lesions, accurate ablation, minimizing the risk of damage to normal tissues and peripheral nerve vessels, and preserving thyroid function; 2. The incision is only about 1.4 mm, and the removal is complete, leaving no scar; 4. Wide application: in time, for tiny nodules that are not easy to find, they can also be precisely ablated under ultrasound guidance, and multiple nodules can be ablated in one operation, which is applicable to a wide range of benign lesions; 5. Significant effect: ultrasound-guided ablation is complete and thorough, and the risk of residual recurrence is low; after ablation, the necrotic lesion tissue can be gradually absorbed and shrunk by itself, compared with surgery. The risk of thyroid destruction and the need for lifelong medication is greatly reduced.