Featured Specialist
Prof. Roberto Valcavi
Endocrinologist, Director of the Endocrine and Thyroid Clinic · Reggio Emilia, Italy
Endocrine & Thyroid Clinic (ETC)
Seeing international patients
- Experience 34+ years specializing
- Languages English, Italian
- Consultations In-person only
About
About Prof. Roberto Valcavi
Prof. Roberto Valcavi is an endocrinologist in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and one of the longest-practising thyroid ablation specialists in the world. He performed his first thyroid ablative procedure in 1992, and has spent the three decades since both treating patients and training the physicians who now perform the technique elsewhere.
He founded the Associazione Medici Endocrinologi, Italy’s national association of endocrinologists, and was elected its president in 2001. From 1996 to 2014 he directed the Department of Endocrinology at IRCCS-Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova in Reggio Emilia. Since November 2020 he has directed the Endocrine and Thyroid Clinic, a private facility built specifically for ultrasound-guided diagnosis and treatment of the endocrine neck.
His published work covers the alternatives as well as the technique he settled on. He reported long-term outcomes for laser ablation before radiofrequency became his primary modality, which is unusual in a field where most specialists adopted a single approach rather than comparing several. He has 89 papers indexed in PubMed, among them the AACE, ACE and AME clinical practice guidelines for thyroid nodules.
Treatment
Procedures performed
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
The most widely studied thermal method for benign and toxic nodules.
Parathyroid radiofrequency ablation, diagnostic neck ultrasound, fine-needle aspiration (FNA), core-needle biopsy (CNB), molecular testing for indeterminate cytology
Indications
Conditions treated
Benign thyroid nodules
Non-cancerous growths in the thyroid that can press on the neck or affect hormone levels.
Read the guidePapillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC)
Small, early-stage papillary thyroid cancers that are often slow-growing.
Read the guideParathyroid adenoma
A benign growth on a parathyroid gland that raises blood calcium.
Read the guideCredentials
Training & Affiliations
- Credentials
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MD, FACE, ECNU
- Education & Training
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- 1983, further specialisation in thyroid disease under Prof. Reginald Hall, Department of Endocrinology, University of Wales, Cardiff, UK
- 1986, Head of the Endocrine Unit, IRCCS-Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia
- 1992, performed his first thyroid ablative procedure
- 1996 to 2014, Director, Department of Endocrinology, IRCCS-Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia
- 2000 onward, repeated visiting engagements at US institutions including the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
- November 2020 to present, Director, Endocrine & Thyroid Clinic, Reggio Emilia
- Professional Affiliations
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- Founder, Associazione Medici Endocrinologi (AME), the Italian Association of Endocrinologists
- Fellow of the American College of Endocrinology (FACE)
- Endocrine Certification in Neck Ultrasound (ECNU)
- Member, Italian Society of Ultrasonography in Medicine and Biology (SIUMB), since 1990
- Convener, first and second TNT (Thyroid Nodules Therapies) international meetings, Reggio Emilia
- Honors & Recognition
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- Elected President, Associazione Medici Endocrinologi (AME), 2001
- International Clinician Award, Boston, 2004, for advances benefiting clinical endocrinology and endocrine patients
- Host, first joint meeting of the Italian Association of Endocrinologists and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, Reggio Emilia, 2001
- Host, joint meeting with a Mayo Clinic endocrine delegation, Reggio Emilia, 2003
Selected work
Publications & Research
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View paper
Radiofrequency ablation of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma
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View paper
The Influence of Impedance on the Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation for Benign Thyroid Nodules
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View paper
Vocal Cord Monitoring by Flexible Fiberoptic Laryngoscopy During Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation
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View paper
Radiofrequency ablation and related ultrasound-guided ablation technologies for treatment of benign and malignant thyroid disease: An international multidisciplinary consensus statement of the American Head and Neck Society Endocrine Surgery Section with the Asia Pacific Society of Thyroid Surgery, Associazione Medici Endocrinologi, British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons, European Thyroid Association, Italian Society of Endocrine Surgery Units, Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology, Latin American Thyroid Society, and Thyroid Nodules Therapies Association
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View paper
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGISTS, AMERICAN COLLEGE OF ENDOCRINOLOGY, AND ASSOCIAZIONE MEDICI ENDOCRINOLOGI MEDICAL GUIDELINES FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF THYROID NODULES--2016 UPDATE
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View paper
Ultrasound B-flow imaging in the evaluation of thermal ablation of thyroid nodules
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View paper
Long-term efficacy of ultrasound-guided laser ablation for benign solid thyroid nodules. Results of a three-year multicenter prospective randomized trial
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View paper
Thermal ablation for benign thyroid nodules: radiofrequency and laser
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View paper
Percutaneous laser ablation of cold benign thyroid nodules: a 3-year follow-up study in 122 patients
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View paper
Ultrasound-guided percutaneous ethanol injection therapy in thyroid cystic nodules
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Who treats you
The Care Team
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Prof. Roberto Valcavi Director
Performs the examination, the neck ultrasound, fine-needle and core-needle biopsy, and the ablation itself.
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Dr. Alessandro Serblin ENT specialist
Assesses vocal cord motility and performs fibrolaryngoscopic monitoring throughout the ablation to protect your voice.
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Dr. Enrico Banchini Anaesthesiologist
Provides conscious sedation, so you stay responsive during the procedure.
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Davide Beghi Nurse practitioner
Assists with examinations, ultrasound and biopsy, and prepares the operating field.
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Massimo Natale RFA engineer
Operates the ultrasound scanner and supports radiofrequency delivery.
Global care
International Patients Welcome
Planning your visit
Your imaging and reports are reviewed ahead of time.
After you return
Remote follow-up consultations once you are back home.
Primarily serving Italy, with international referrals
Ready to get started?
Talk to Prof. Roberto Valcavi
Enquiries are handled by this specialist's own clinic. Send them your imaging and history to ask whether ablation is an option for you. Education first, urgency never.