Thyroid Radio Frequency Ablation -RFA Half-Day Pre-Conference Workshop
This comprehensive, hands-on workshop is designed for clinicians looking to strengthen their foundational ultrasound skills and advance their expertise in interventional procedures and radiofrequency ablation (RFA).
Morning Session: Ultrasound Fundamentals & Interventional Techniques
The workshop begins with focused didactic sessions covering:
• Ultrasound Basics & Physics – Core principles, image optimization, and practical “knobology” to confidently operate ultrasound systems.
• Interventional Ultrasound Techniques – Long-axis and short-axis approaches, core needle procedures, and loco-regional nerve blocks (including C4 plexus and pericapsular thyroid blocks).
• Workflow Integration – Practical strategies for incorporating ultrasound efficiently into a busy clinic setting and even the operating room environment.
An interactive Q&A session will follow.
Participants will then transition to a live demonstration and hands-on practice session using models, allowing attendees to apply scanning techniques in a guided setting.
Afternoon Session: RFA & Sclerotherapy – Principles to Practice
The afternoon focuses on advancing therapeutic skills with in-depth sessions on:
• RFA & Sclerotherapy Principles – Technology overview, evidence-based practice, patient selection criteria, and clinical indications.
• Practical Implementation of RFA – Budget considerations, workflow integration, procedural approach, pearls and pitfalls, and strategies to establish and sustain an RFA program within your institution or clinic.
Participants will engage in ultrasound-guided RFA practice on phantoms, providing valuable hands-on procedural experience in a supervised learning environment. The workshop concludes with a final Q&A session and key take-home messages to support clinical implementation.
Presenters & Moderator
Kevin Higgins, MD, FRCSC
Professor | University of Toronto
Veronique-Isabelle Forest, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Assistant Professor | McGill University
Richard J. Payne, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Professor | McGill University
Registration
Delegates who have not yet registered for the CSOHNS 80th Annual Meeting are welcome to register through the Conference Registration Link. Please note it is $250.00 plus tax to participate in this workshop.
Delegates who have already registered for the Annual Meeting may register for the pre-conference course by using the registration link they received on their confirmation email and add ‘Pre-Conference Workshops’. If you require support, please contact us: conference@csohns.org
Learning Outcomes
Understand the principles of radiofrequency ablation and its application in the treatment of thyroid nodules.
Identify the indications for differing ablation techniques.
Describe the general techniques involved in performing ablation procedures.
Gain knowledge of the patient-specific indications and contraindications for radiofrequency ablation in thyroid nodules.
Gain knowledge of the potential complications and adverse effects associated with radiofrequency ablation.
Build awareness of the clinical outcomes and effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation in treating thyroid nodules, including safety and efficacy.
Develop a thorough understanding of the fundamental techniques necessary to perform radiofrequency ablation.
Understand the anatomy and physiology of the thyroid gland and its surrounding structures.
Understand the significance of different ultrasound patterns of lymph node involvement in relation to the prognosis and management of thyroid cancer.
Identify lymph node ultrasound malignancy criteria.
Understand how to perform ultrasound examinations of the neck to assess lymph node involvement in thyroid cancer.
Understand the sonographic criteria used to differentiate between benign and malignant lymph nodes.
Gain knowledge of the appropriate use of Doppler ultrasound in assessing lymph nodes for thyroid cancer.
Understand the role of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in evaluating suspicious lymph nodes.
Develop a comprehensive approach to integrating ultrasound findings with clinical and histopathological data for accurate staging and management decisions in thyroid cancer.
Identify the eligibility criteria and considerations for ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies.
Understand the advantages and limitations of ultrasound imaging in evaluating lymph nodes for thyroid cancer.
Understand the underlying principles of ultrasound imaging.
Understand the basic differences between fundamental concepts such as sound frequency and wavelength.
Understand the properties of waves, including cycle, amplitude, and related concepts.
Understand how to convert c/s to frequency measurements.
Understand the difference between infrasound and ultrasound.
Understand the ratios for degrees of reflection for different tissues.
Understand the structure of a transducer and its characteristics.
Understand how to optimize ultrasound settings such as gain, depth, frequency, and time-gain compensation for optimal image quality.
Understand the basic principles of ultrasound beam formation and resolution.
Understand what resolution is and why it is used.
Differentiate between axial/longitudinal resolution and lateral resolution in relation to ultrasound beams.
Differentiate between hyperechoic, isoechoic, and hypoechoic structures on ultrasound images.