Is a thyroid nodule fna biopsy painful?

It varies: The level of discomfort experienced can vary considerably. Different people have different pain tolerance. Inflammatory nodules are likely to be more tender than cysts or tumors. Different doctors choose different size needles. Some use lidocaine, a local anesthetic, some do not. Most patients experience a level of pain similar to what they feel while getting an IV started.

Not lasting pain: Most of my patients who undergo thyroid fna biopsy state that there is some pain, but nothing last lasts beyond a few minutes. Some surgeons will place a small amount of local anesthetic in the skin around the thyroid so that the patient will not feel the "sting" of the needle piercing the skin. The fna biopsy is better describes as uncomfortable as opposed to painful.

FNA and pain: These are generally not painful. I speak from both personal and professional experience. There is mainly a pressure sensation.