title: Outpatient thyroid surgery in a Toronto community hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thyroid surgery has been traditionally viewed as a procedure necessitating hospitalization of patients. There is a small but growing body of literature demonstrating the safety and efficacy of outpatient thyroid surgery.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Based on a review of the literature and a description of the protocol used to identify patients who are candidates for outpatient procedures, complications associated with the management of these patients are discussed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Teritary referral otolaryngology practice within a community hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study period included 247 thyroid surgeries, of which 94 were completed on an outpatient basis. No complications were identified in the outpatient group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Outpatient subtotal thyroidectomy is safe and effective. It has not been shown to increase postoperative complication rates. The practice of outpatient thyroid surgery can be of financial benefit to the Canadian health care system.
authors.affiliation: University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine, Saskatoon, SK.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sklar
authors.forename: Mohamed J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Solomon
mesh_terms: D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000639:trends*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000639:trends*