TL;DR: Thyroid RFA offers fast recovery and minimal downtime. Most patients return to daily life within 24–48 hours.
- Same-day discharge
- Resume driving in ~24 hours
- Back to work in 1–2 days
- Light exercise within 48 hours
- Avoid strenuous activity for up to 2 weeks
- No lifelong thyroid medications needed
Thyroid radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is favored by patients and physicians for its notably short recovery time compared to surgery. It’s often performed in a single office visit, and most patients resume normal activity almost immediately. Even light exercise after radiofrequency ablation can resume within the first 24 to 48 hours in most cases.
Following the procedure, many patients have other questions about how soon they can resume normal activities. They wonder if they can drive themselves home, return to work, or must begin medications after treatment.
It’s the clinician’s responsibility to counsel patients on what to expect following the procedure. The advice you give ensures patients achieve the safest, most positive outcome.
In this guide, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about recovery after the RFA procedure. Continue reading to learn how to help patients resume their lives quickly.
Recovery After the RFA Procedure: Immediate Post-Procedure Care
Thyroid RFA is typically done with local anesthesia. In some cases, clinicians may also use mild sedation to keep patients calm and comfortable. Unlike surgery, there’s no general anesthesia or large incisions. As a result, after a brief monitoring period, patients almost always go home the same day.
Complication rates for thyroid RFA are very low. Still, patients are typically observed for about 30 minutes after the ablation to ensure there are no immediate issues. When cleared, patients may continue their recovery at home.
Home Care Following Radiofrequency Ablation
At-home care instructions following thyroid RFA typically include:
- Keeping the needle insertion site clean and dry for at least 24 hours to prevent infection.
- Spend the remainder of the day resting, only performing light activities at home.
- Take over-the-counter acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen as needed to manage mild neck pain or soreness.
- Apply an ice pack on and off for the first day to reduce swelling and discomfort.
- Stay hydrated and eat soft foods if experiencing pain when swallowing.
Most patients feel well enough to go home within an hour after thyroid ablation. By the next day, the majority of patients are able to resume regular activity.
Can You Drive After Radiofrequency Ablation?
Most clinicians advise patients to arrange a ride home rather than driving themselves. This is due to soreness or stiffness in the neck. Patients must be able to check mirrors and blind spots while driving, making a full range of neck motion necessary. Thus, driving immediately following the RFA procedure may be both uncomfortable and unsafe.
Patients who receive sedative or anxiolytic medication during the procedure should never drive themselves home. Likewise, any patient who feels at all groggy after the procedure should be advised to find alternate transportation.
It is typically safe for patients to resume driving once they are no longer taking narcotic pain medication. Most patients are safe to drive as soon as they can turn their head pain-free. For the average patient, this is within 24 hours of the procedure, often the next day.
Returning to Work and Normal Activities
The overall radiofrequency ablation recovery time is much shorter than with open surgery. Thyroidectomy often involves a hospital stay and weeks of healing. In comparison, the average RFA patient can resume most normal activities within 24 hours of the procedure.
Most clinicians advise patients to rest for the remainder of the day following their procedure. Following this brief recovery period, patients can safely and comfortably go back to work 48 hours after thyroid ablation. Some patients resume light duties as soon as the next day. The limited need for recovery time is one of the most attractive benefits of RFA compared to surgery.
With that said, patients with extremely physical jobs may opt for desk duties during the first two weeks of recovery.
In general, performing routine tasks at home is safe almost immediately. Only very strenuous exertion should be delayed. Patients can even shower if they are able to refrain from soaking their incision site within the first 24 hours.
Exercise After Radiofrequency Ablation: When Can You Work Out?
The first question many patients ask is, “Can I exercise after radiofrequency ablation?”
Most thyroid RFA patients can resume exercise fairly quickly following their procedure. As a general rule, low-impact activities can be resumed sooner than high-impact or strenuous exercise. In fact, normal movement is encouraged following the procedure.
What constitutes low-impact exercise? Anything from a simple stroll to light stretching or low-impact yoga can be safe. However, patients should avoid anything with the potential to strain their neck during early recovery.
Patients should hold off on running, weightlifting, CrossFit, or high-intensity interval training immediately, however. Likewise, they should temporarily refrain from any activity that causes a lot of jarring or Valsalva strain. Guidelines on this vary depending on the source.
The American Thyroid Association recommends avoiding strenuous physical activity for about 2–3 days post-RFA. Individual institutions may advise patients to avoid strenuous activity for anywhere from 7 to 14 days post-procedure.
This caution makes sense. Although RFA has minimal internal trauma, vigorous activity could theoretically increase neck swelling. Likewise, patients who exercise too soon risk a slight bleed at the treatment site. It may be best to advise patients to work up to high-impact exercise gradually over the first two weeks post-procedure.
Advise patients to stop exercising if they experience the following:
- Sharp pain in the neck
- New swelling
- Voice changes
Patients who use common sense and moderation typically avoid these rare complications.
Life After Thyroid Ablation: Long-Term Outlook
One of the most reassuring aspects of thyroid RFA is that life after thyroid ablation looks very much like life before. Ideally, the only difference will be the gradual absence of thyroid nodule symptoms.
Unlike a surgical thyroidectomy, RFA typically does not trigger hypothyroidism. Thus, most patients do not need to take thyroid hormone pills for life after RFA. There is rarely even a surgical scar.
In essence, most patients can anticipate a full return to everyday life within days. Most see significant symptom relief within weeks or months.
To learn more about thyroid RFA, consult our FAQ page. There, you’ll find answers to the most common questions about the procedure.
