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Ambulatory Thyroid Surgery: Is This the Way of the Future?

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Controversies in Thyroid Surgery

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Abstract

Introduction

Outpatient thyroidectomy has been demonstrated in recent years as safe and feasible by a number of endocrine surgery centers. However, despite the inherent benefits of doing surgery with the same day discharge, the acceptance of thyroidectomy as an outpatient procedure has been slow and regarded by some as still controversial.

Methods

This manuscript addresses the logistics as well as the pros and cons of doing thyroidectomy with the same day discharge from the reported experience in the literature in the past decade and the perspective of the author’s approximate 20-year experience with outpatient thyroidectomy. Special emphasis is given to the diagnosis, prevention, and management of post-thyroidectomy cervical hematoma in the outpatient setting.

Conclusion

Outpatient thyroidectomy is feasible and safe for the majority of thyroid operations while providing similar health-care cost savings to society as other outpatient operations. It seems reasonable to anticipate increasing utilization of outpatient thyroidectomy by experienced thyroid surgeons in the future. Ultimately, the majority of thyroidectomy procedures will be accomplished in the outpatient setting to the benefit of the patient, hospital, surgeon, insurance company, and society.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Baylor Scott & White Health, 7th Floor, 2401 South 31st Street, Temple, TX, 76508, USA

    Samuel K. Snyder M.D., F.A.C.S.

Authors
  1. Samuel K. Snyder M.D., F.A.C.S.
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Correspondence to Samuel K. Snyder M.D., F.A.C.S. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery; University of Virginia Health System, C Bruce Morton Professor and Chief; Division of General Surgery, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    John B. Hanks

  2. Chairman Department of Surgery, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Eugene W Friedman Professor of Surgery; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA

    William B. Inabnet III

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Snyder, S.K. (2016). Ambulatory Thyroid Surgery: Is This the Way of the Future?. In: Hanks, J., Inabnet III, W. (eds) Controversies in Thyroid Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20523-6_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20523-6_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-20522-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20523-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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