Thyroidectomy in an Outpatient versus Inpatient Setting
A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65539/xm3b5t62Keywords:
Endocrine Surgery, Inpatient Thyroidectomy, Outpatient ThyroidectomyAbstract
Objectives: This updated meta-analysis evaluates the clinical and economic outcomes of outpatient versus inpatient thyroidectomy
Data Sources: PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from the inception of databases until 18 May 2025.
Review Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA, MOOSE, and Cochrane guidelines. Studies comparing outpatient and inpatient thyroidectomy reporting relevant outcomes were included. Data was extracted using standardized tools. Primary outcomes included procedure types, complication rates, readmissions, and reoperations. Costs were descriptively analysed in April 2025 USD. Meta-analyses used random-effects models, and heterogeneity was assessed via I², subgroup analysis, and meta-regression. Publication bias was evaluated with funnel plots.
Results: 26 studies (n=291,075) were included. Outpatients were more likely to undergo hemithyroidectomy (RR 1.29) and less likely to need neck dissection (RR 0.45). They had lower rates of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury/hoarseness (RR 0.59), neck hematoma (RR 0.58), hypocalcemia (RR 0.52), and total complications after total thyroidectomy (RR 0.52). Direct hospital charges were US $850-2800 lower per case.
Conclusion: Outpatient thyroidectomy is a safe, cost-effective alternative to inpatient care, with fewer complications. Careful patient selection remains critical. High-quality trials are needed to confirm these findings.
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Data Availability Statement
All the data analyzed for this project is publicly available through PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception through May 18, 2025.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Syed Hasham Ali, Zoha Fatima Syed, Abdullah Ahmad, Felipe Porto, Valentina Montanez-Azcarate, Alexa Kacin (Author)
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