Outpatient thyroidectomy: is it a safe and reasonable option?

BackgroundOutpatient surgery is cost effective and convenient. The aim of this study was to determine the safety and feasibility of outpatient thyroidectomy.MethodsRetrospective review was performed of all thyroidectomy patients from a tertiary care center between January 2004 and March 2010.ResultsOne hundred forty-eight patients met the inclusion criteria. Subtotal and hemithyroidectomies (n = 79) were compared against completion and total thyroidectomies (n = 72). Nine total thyroidectomy patients (12.5%) required unplanned overnight admission, compared with 4 hemithyroidectomy patients (5.1%) (P = .15). The majority were admitted for pain and nausea control. Overnight admissions were highest among men (32% vs 5%, P = .002) and patients with Graves' disease (36% vs 6%, P = .003). Postoperative complications occurred in 6 total thyroidectomy patients (8.3%) and 3 hemithyroidectomy patients (3.8%) (P = .31). Only 4 patients (2.6%) required readmission for complications. There were no deaths.ConclusionsOutpatient thyroidectomy performed by an experienced surgeon is safe and feasible. Men and patients with Graves' disease have a higher probability of requiring postoperative admission.