title: Outpatient thyroidectomy: is it a safe and reasonable option?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Outpatient surgery is cost effective and convenient. The aim of this study was to determine the safety and feasibility of outpatient thyroidectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review was performed of all thyroidectomy patients from a tertiary care center between January 2004 and March 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Outpatient thyroidectomy performed by an experienced surgeon is safe and feasible. Men and patients with Graves' disease have a higher probability of requiring postoperative admission.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital, Portland, OR, USA. hessmanc@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: Crystal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hessman
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.forename: Earl
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schuman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult