Welcome to the Thyroid Center of Santa Monica. We can help you get outside second opinions for these thyroid conditions.Don’t let managed care providers prevent you from making sure they are doing the right thing. 1. Do you really need a screening thyroid ultrasound with no history or findings? 2. Do you really need a needle biopsy for your small nodule? 3.Do you really need surgery for your indeterminate suspicious thyroid nodule? 4.Do you really need to go to surgery without the a consultation with an expert thyroid cancer physician? The answer is no to all four. Without second opinions 25% go to surgery for a benign nodule.

Out of Network Second Opinion Before Surgery for Thyroid Nodules and Cancer

How Does it work?

Ask for your records to be sent to a thyroid expert for review before you consider surgery as the correct treatment. Some patients turn out to not have cancer. Some have a tumor that was called cancer in the past but now is a benign tumor.Some have a small thyroid cancer that active surveillance like prostate cancer can be used instead of surgery. Also ethanol ablation or radiofrequency can ablate it while it is small as a third alternative. Come to see me for an evaluation before you you consider surgery.

Second Opinion results:

What if the recommendation is no surgery?

What are the non-surgical options possible?

Active surveillance of <1.5 cm primary papillary thyroid cancers Follow these with ultrasound yearly instead of surgery. Only operate if the nodule grows >3 mm. Most never have surgery, and the rest do just as well as if the had surgery at first.Alternative if the patient does not want surgery of long periods with a cancer in the neck they can opt of ethanol ablation or RFA.

~ Ultrasound-Guided PEI thyroid mixed cysts,
Parathyroid cysts, thyroid cancer lymph nodes and small <1.5 cm primary cancers

~ RFA radiofrequency ablation for solid nodules, recurrent thyroid cancers and small primary cancers

Thyroid cancer is overdiagnosed and overtreated, say Mayo doctors

By Susan Perry | 08/28/13

Dr. Juan Brito discusses the Mayo findings.

Key factors behind the rise

Imaging
Insurance pays for these imaging tests.
The routine use of neck ultrasonography has increased at least 80 percent since 1980.

Unnecessary treatments

Overdiagnosis often leads to overtreatment, the number of thyroidectomies (surgeries that remove all or part of the thyroid gland) rose 60 percent in the United States between 1996 and 2006.
The thyroidectomy procedure is costly and associated with several serious and permanent complications, including nerve injury to the larynx. People who’ve had a total thyroidectomy — or even, in some cases, a partial one — must also take thyroid replacement therapy for the remainder of their lives, a treatment that poses its own health risks.
Radioactive iodine treatment is also being increasingly prescribed in the United States for low-risk papillary lesions. In 1973, one in 300 patients with thyroid cancer received these treatments. In 2006, that number had grown to two in five patients.
Yet radioactive iodine treatments are not recommended for people with low-risk thyroid lesions.
The treatments are associated with a reduced quality of life and a risk of developing other types of cancer, including leukemia and cancer of the salivary gland.

Out of Network Second Opinion Before Surgery.

Thyroid Surgery is rarely an emergency.It is an elective procedure.

Don’t rush without knowing all your options.

Why a second opinion? It can confirm that you are doing the right thing.

2/10 did not agree with the original DX of cancer.

4/10 indeterminate FNA biopsies were confirmed on second opinion.

2/10 Indeterminate FNA biopsies were non-diagnostic on second opinion..

4/10 indeterminate FNAs were benign on second opinion.

13/100 Indeterminate FNA biopsies on initial cytology hd cancer at surgery.

30/100 indeterminate FNA biopsies from second opinion had cancer.

14/100 did not have cancer on second opinion.

5/10 indeterminate cases had a different diagnosis on second opinion.

43/100 indeterminate biopsies had a definite benign result on second opinion.

It can change the diagnosis.
It can change the extent of surgery.
It can find the type of cancer has been downgraded to benign.
It can find that you had a nodule that was incompletely evaluated before recommending surgery.
It can help you find non-surgical treatment for benign nodules and some thyroid cancers.
It can find that your small cancer is harmless and can be best treated by just yearly ultrasounds or ethanol ablation instead of surgery.
It can help you find alternative treatment specialists for small cancers in the thyroid and local recurrent cancers.
It can determine if a nodule or cancer can be treated with minimally invasive ethanol or radio frequency ablation instead of surgery.

9.Finally it can direct you to high volume thyroid surgeons with low complication rate.
Second opinion is not a wasted time.It is giving you peace of mind that you are doing the right thing.

Meet Dr. Guttler

The Thyroid Center of Santa Monica is a multiservice center established for the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disorders in Santa Monica, California. Since 1974, Dr. Richard Guttler, clinical thyroidologist and board-certified endocrinologist, has been the director for the Thyroid Center of Santa Monica. Dr. Guttler is also the sole owner of the Endocrine Neck Ultrasound Lab of Southern California, an extension of the thyroid center.

Full Bio

Non-Surgical Thyroid Cancer Treatment

Your one-stop-shop for the diagnosis
and treatment of thyroid conditions

Our practice is highly specialized and is one of only a few centers across the United States focused entirely on thyroid problems.

We commonly serve patients who have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and other conditions involving the thyroid. For patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer and thyroid nodules, we offer innovative, advanced techniques that are smart, cost-effective alternatives to surgery. Interventional thyroid procedures include ultrasound-guided percutaneous ethanol injections (PEIs) for cysts and thyroid cancer lymph nodes,radiofrequency ablation for solid nodules, and HIFU for solid thyroid nodules

Because of our specialty services, patients come from all over the world to see Dr. Guttler. In addition, endocrinologists travel to Dr. Guttler’s office for his workshops and Masters classes offering advanced training and knowledge in thyroidology.

Thyroid Center of Santa Monica welcomes your call and looks forward to serving patients and their physicians. To request a consultation, please call our office at (310) 393-8860

Thyroid No Surgery 101

Thyroid Nodule 101: Patients Over 70 Years Old. Why Operate?

Posted August 23, 2018

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Thyroid Nodule 101: Patients Over 70 Years Old. Why Operate Comments by Dr.G. 1. 1200 > 70...

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Thyroid No Surgery for Thyroid cysts 101: 10 year post PEI No Recurrence.

Posted August 10, 2018

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Thyroid No Surgery for Thyroid cysts 101: 10 year post PEI No Recurrence.

Surgery for Thyroid cysts 101: 10 year post PEI No Recurrence. 10 years ago I saw this 31 Y/O...

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Thyroid Cancer 101: Why You Need An Expert Second Opinion Before Surgery

Posted July 27, 2018

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Thyroid Surgery 101: 1869 Almost half 8/20 of the goiter patients having surgery died.

Posted July 2, 2018

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Thyroid Surgery 101: 1869 Almost half 8/20 of the goiter patients having surgery died. Dr...

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Thyroid Nodules and Cancer 101: Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) Instead of Surgery.Is It Safe? The Answer is Yes.

Posted June 29, 2018

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Thyroid Nodules and Cancer 101: Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) Instead of Surgery. Is It Safe?...

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What are the Benefits and Risks of Thyroid Nodule Evaluation in Patients ≥70 Years Old

Posted April 26, 2018

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What are the Benefits and Risks of Thyroid Nodule Evaluation in Patients ≥70 Years Old. Comments...

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Published in American Thyroid Association new video journal VideoEndocrinology: My Simple Office Ethanol Ablation Procedure for thyroid/parathyroid cysts and recurrent thyroid cancer lymph nodes.

Posted March 7, 2018

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Published in American Thyroid Association new video journal VideoEndocrinology: My Simple Office...

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Thyroid No Surgery 101: Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation RFA in 2018

Posted December 18, 2017

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Thyroid No Surgery 101: Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation RFA in 2018

Thyroid No Surgery 101: Thyroid Cancer Radiofrequency Ablation RFA in 2018 Dr.Guttler Comments...

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Rfa 101

Thyroid Radiofrequency RFA 101: RFA for benign thyroid nodules, and Thyroid Cancer nodal metastatic lymph nodes, and micro-papillary thyroid cancer

The patient with a cosmetic or symptomatic benign thyroid nodules can be treated with RFA.Also thyroid cancer lymph nodes and micro-papillary cancer can be an alternative active surveillance. We need to send you to Europe or Korea until RFA is approved in the USA.

Learn More

Breakthrough Radiofrequency Ablation Treatment

Small Thyroid Cancers 101: Thyroid Micro-Cancers: They all don’t need Thyroid Surgery.

Posted 10 hours ago

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Small Thyroid Cancers 101: Thyroid Micro-Cancers: They all don’t need Thyroid Surgery...

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Thyroid Surgery 101: What you need to know before you consent to have thyroid surgery.

Posted 1 day ago

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Thyroid Surgery 101: What you need to know before you consent to have thyroid surgery...

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Thyroid No Surgery 101: What to Do with Your Small Thyroid Cancer? Three Options

Posted 4 days ago

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Thyroid No Surgery 101: What to Do with Your Small Thyroid Cancer? Three Options...

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See More About Thyroid RFA

Second Opinion results: What if the recommendation is no surgery? What are the non-surgical options possible?

Thyroid cancer is overdiagnosed and overtreated, say Mayo doctors

Unnecessary treatments

Out of Network Second Opinion Before Surgery. Thyroid Surgery is rarely an emergency.It is an elective procedure. Don’t rush without knowing all your options.

2/10 did not agree with the original DX of cancer.

4/10 indeterminate FNA biopsies were confirmed on second opinion.

2/10 Indeterminate FNA biopsies were non-diagnostic on second opinion..

4/10 indeterminate FNAs were benign on second opinion.

13/100 Indeterminate FNA biopsies on initial cytology hd cancer at surgery.

30/100 indeterminate FNA biopsies from second opinion had cancer.

14/100 did not have cancer on second opinion.

5/10 indeterminate cases had a different diagnosis on second opinion.

43/100 indeterminate biopsies had a definite benign result on second opinion.

It can change the diagnosis.

It can change the extent of surgery.

It can find the type of cancer has been downgraded to benign.

It can find that you had a nodule that was incompletely evaluated before recommending surgery.

It can help you find non-surgical treatment for benign nodules and some thyroid cancers.

It can find that your small cancer is harmless and can be best treated by just yearly ultrasounds or ethanol ablation instead of surgery.

It can help you find alternative treatment specialists for small cancers in the thyroid and local recurrent cancers.

It can determine if a nodule or cancer can be treated with minimally invasive ethanol or radio frequency ablation instead of surgery.

9.Finally it can direct you to high volume thyroid surgeons with low complication rate.

Second opinion is not a wasted time.It is giving you peace of mind that you are doing the right thing.

Meet Dr. Guttler

Non-Surgical Thyroid Cancer Treatment

Your one-stop-shop for the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid conditions

Thyroid No Surgery 101

Thyroid Nodule 101: Patients Over 70 Years Old. Why Operate?

Thyroid No Surgery for Thyroid cysts 101: 10 year post PEI No Recurrence.

Thyroid Cancer 101: Why You Need An Expert Second Opinion Before Surgery

Thyroid Surgery 101: 1869 Almost half 8/20 of the goiter patients having surgery died.

Thyroid Nodules and Cancer 101: Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) Instead of Surgery.Is It Safe? The Answer is Yes.

What are the Benefits and Risks of Thyroid Nodule Evaluation in Patients ≥70 Years Old

Published in American Thyroid Association new video journal VideoEndocrinology: My Simple Office Ethanol Ablation Procedure for thyroid/parathyroid cysts and recurrent thyroid cancer lymph nodes.

Thyroid No Surgery 101: Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation RFA in 2018

Rfa 101

Breakthrough Radiofrequency Ablation Treatment

Small Thyroid Cancers 101: Thyroid Micro-Cancers: They all don’t need Thyroid Surgery.

Thyroid Surgery 101: What you need to know before you consent to have thyroid surgery.

Thyroid No Surgery 101: What to Do with Your Small Thyroid Cancer? Three Options

From The Blog

Small Thyroid Cancers 101: Thyroid Micro-Cancers: They all don’t need Thyroid Surgery.

Thyroid Surgery 101: What to Expect After the Surgery.

Thyroid Disease 101: In Patients Over 60.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (Lymphocytic Thyroiditis) 101: What you need to know.

Thyroid Surgery 101: What you need to know before you consent to have thyroid surgery.

Big Thyroid Nodular Goiter 101:

Thyroid Nodules 101: Dr. Guttler’s 84 Rules on Thyroid Nodules

Thyroid Nodules 101: Mutation studies prevent 70% from going to surgery with an indeterminate biopsy diagnosis when the FNA needle washout mutations markers and classifiers are benign.

Thyroid Disease 101: Thyrotoxicosis and Risk of Heart Disease Years later.

Hypothyroid Symptoms: Low Libido

Thyroid Cancer No Longer: What is a NIFTP, non-invasive follicular tumor with look alike papillary thyroid cells?

DR.Guttler’s Center was one of 9 centers in this study.Interpace Diagnostics Presents Favorable New Data at the 88th Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association (ATA)

Hypothyroid/Hyperthyroid 101: Hair Loss only if patient is actually acutely hypo or hyperthyroid.

Thyroid No Surgery 101: Thyroid Surgery Only After Second Opinion: 20% Swallowing Disorder Post Op Complication

12 Celebs Who’ve Been Super-Honest About Their Thyroid Conditions “I woke up with a giant bulge in my neck the size of a golf ball.”

Thyroid No Surgery 101: What to Do with Your Small Thyroid Cancer? Three Options

Thyroid No Surgery 101: Part 1: Thyroid Ultrasound and Fine Needle Biopsy.The Two Most Dangerous Procedures Without Expert Consultation.

Thyroid No Surgery 101: Part 2: Thyroid Ultrasound and Fine Needle Biopsy.The Two Most Dangerous Procedures Without Expert consultation.

Thyroid Disease 101: Can thyroid disease effect your sex life?

Thyroid Cancer in Teenage Basketball Star

Thyroid Cancer 101: Scare Tactics By Endocrinologist and Surgeon Who Tells Patient He has less than a year to live!

Thyroid Cancer 101: Epidemic Failure to Study Lateral Neck During Inadequate Thyroid Ultrasounds

Thyroid Cancer 101: Dr.Oz has a Good Report for a change.

Thyroid Cancer 101: Dr.Oz has a Good Report for a change.

Hypothyroid 101: Beware of Thyroid Quackery: Basal body Temperature BBT is not a Self Test

Thyroid No Surgery 101: Even if the thyroid nodule biopsy is suspicious for thyroid cancer, it still may be benign. Hold off surgery until molecular markers for thyroid cancer are done.It may be benign and can save you an unnecessary thyroid surgery.

Thyroid No Surgery 101 For Thyroid Cysts: Did her physicians tell her there was a better less invasive way of treating a thyroid cysts?

Hyperthyroid 101 for Cats

Thyroid No Surgery 101 Why are patients going to surgery with their thyroid nodule indeterminate biopsy results? There are DNA/RNA marker tests on the nodule that can save you from unnecessary thyroid surgery.

Benign Cystic Thyroid Nodule Treatment With Ethanol Goes Mainstream When The Famous Mayo Clinic Does a Limited Study on 12 Patients.

Functional Medicine and the Thyroid: Stay Away if You Have a Thyroid problem.

Another Star talks Trash About Thyroid and Her Weight Loss

Thyroid Cancer 101: Size Matters: Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Recurrence

Thyroid Eye Disease 101: Thyroid Disease Can Cause “Bug Eyes”.

Thyroid Nodules No Surgery 101: Why a Simple Needle Washout for Molecular Markers for Thyroid Cancer Can Save You a Surgery.

Thyroid Cancer 101: Does your sister or mother have thyroid cancer? If they do you are at risk.

Thyroid Cancer 101: Linked with Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially those with Ulcerative colitis ?

Thyroid Cancer 101: Why with thyroid cancer awareness week you should not get thyroid cancer screening.

Thyroid Nodules 101: Why you should not go to surgery without molecular marker studies if you have a Indeterminate biopsy result.

Second Opinion results:

What if the recommendation is no surgery?

What are the non-surgical options possible?

Out of Network Second Opinion Before Surgery.

Thyroid Surgery is rarely an emergency.It is an elective procedure.

Don’t rush without knowing all your options.

Your one-stop-shop for the diagnosis
and treatment of thyroid conditions