title: Questionable safety of thyroid surgery with same day discharge.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the last two decades increasing numbers of surgical procedures have been performed on an outpatient basis. In 2000 the National Health Service in England set the target of performing 75% or more of all elective surgical procedures as day cases and in 2001 the British  Association of Day Surgery added thyroidectomy to the list of day case procedures. However, same day discharge following thyroidectomies has been adopted by only a very small number of UK centres. The aim of this review was to establish the evidence base surrounding same day discharge thyroid  surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons commissioned the authors to perform a review of the best available evidence regarding day case thyroid surgery as a part of a consensus position to be adopted by the organisation. A MEDLINE(®)review  of the English medical literature was performed and the relevant articles were collated and reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There are limited comparative data on day case thyroid surgery. It is feasible and may save individual hospitals the cost of inpatient stay. However, the risk of airway compromising  and life threatening post-operative bleeding remains a major concern since it is not possible to positively identify those patients most and least at risk of bleeding after thyroidectomy. It is estimated that half of all post-thyroidectomy bleeds would occur outside of the hospital environment  if patients were discharged six hours after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Same day discharge in a UK setting cannot be endorsed. Any financial benefits may be outweighed by the exposure of patients to an increased risk of an adverse outcome. Consequently, 23-hour surgery is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgery, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0HS, UK.
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Doran
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: England
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palazzo
mesh_terms: D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology; D016365:Liability, Legal; D061214:Patient Safety; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology