PRESS RELEASE
March 15, 2023
Southmedic is now the exclusive distributor of STARmed’s RFA technology in Canada. “We are proud to bring this minimally invasive technology to patients and clinicians in Canada for the first time. One of our priorities as a Canadian Medical Device company is to improve patient outcomes and reduce surgical wait times. This globally recognized technology is going to offer exactly that,” says James Cunningham, VP of Sales-Canada for Southmedic.
STARmed’s advanced RFA technology presents clinicians with an exceptional opportunity to administer minimally invasive treatment for thyroid nodules that would have otherwise necessitated invasive surgery for removal. This procedure, known as radiofrequency ablation (RFA), offers eligible patients a faster recovery, significantly reduced pain, and eliminates scarring. Furthermore, it will significantly reduce the surgical wait times for patients by allowing those who qualify for the procedure avoid surgery altogether. Thyroid nodules are extremely common in the Canadian population. Over 50% of adults have a thyroid nodule which increases with age. Almost 20,000 people need thyroid surgery in Canada every year. With the help of ultrasound guidance, clinicians can utilize RFA to avoid surgery altogether in some patients by heating the target thyroid nodule which can significantly reduce the size or ablate hyperfunctioning thyroid tissue. This can both significantly improve those patients’ quality of life for large nodules causing swallowing, voice, breathing, and neck discomfort as well as help control thyroid hormone levels for some of those living with hyperthyroidism. The RFA procedure is done in the office setting, under local anesthesia with minimal discomfort and quick recovery.
Patients who opt for RFA are able to return to their normal activities the day after the procedure and can resume exercising immediately. Moreover, they are much less likely to require thyroid hormone medication compared to those who have surgery.
While this procedure has been available in many other areas of the world for almost a decade, this will be the first time, Canadians can have access to this technology.
For more information about thyroid nodules, including available treatments please contact your doctor.