Outpatient thyroidectomy.

In current clinical practice, the concept of outpatient surgery could apply to thyroidectomy. As the thyroid is anatomically accessible, its removal is not physiologically disabling; it makes surgery safer and precludes hospitalization. To evaluate the feasibility and solidity of outpatient thyroidectomy (OPT), the authors conducted a 12 1/2-year study (1982-1994), including an earlier 4-year randomized trial on 309 and cumulative posttrial experiences in 869 cases.