Outpatient versus inpatient thyroidectomy: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract This study aimed to compare the safety of outpatient thyroidectomy (OPT) versus inpatient thyroidectomy (IPT). Several databases were systematically searched for clinical trials and cohort studies. Thirty‐one studies were included. The pooled results showed that OPT was associated with lower observed rates of overall complications (RR = 0.55 [95% CI = 0.39–0.78], p < .001), including hematoma (RR = 0.62 [95% CI = 0.50–0.76], p < .001), transient vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) (RR = 0.55 [95% CI = 0.31–0.95], p = .032), permanent VCD (RR = 0.26 [95% CI = 0.13–0.53], p < .001), transient hypocalcemia (RR = 0.49 [95% CI = 0.35–0.70], p < .001), persistent hypocalcemia (RR = 0.41 [95% CI = 0.24–0.68], p < .001), hospital readmission (RR = 0.70 [95% CI = 0.59–0.83], p < .001), reoperation (RR = 0.45 [95% CI = 0.32–0.63], p < .001) and mortality (RR = 0.25 [95% CI = 0.15–0.42], p < .001). However, these findings likely reflect the selection of lower‐risk patients for OPT rather than a direct causal benefit of the surgical setting itself. OPT in well‐selected patients appears safe. Most of the included studies exhibited considerable baseline differences between the OPT and IPT groups, which potentially affect the outcomes. Conducting high‐quality clinical trials is warranted to confirm the safety of OPT.