[Clinical study on ambulatory surgery for thyroid]

To evaluate the advantages and clinical value regarding the ambulatory surgery for thyroid.

A total of 66 patients (including 16 cases of differentiated thyroid cancer, 50 cases of benign thyroid tumors) from June 2014 to April 2015 in Center for Ambulatory Surgery of Xiangya Hospital were enrolled for this study and served as an exprimental group. All patients met pre-established ambulatory surgery criteria for thyroid. According to medical records, 133 patients with similar conditions to the experimental group were chosen as a control group. All of operations in two groups were completed by the same doctors. The time of operation, amount of bleeding during operation, drainage after the operation, operation method, resection range, histological features, surgical complications, average days of hospitalization, average hospitalization cost, the rate of re-admission and the satisfaction of patients were compared between the 2 groups.

Time of operation and amount of bleeding during operation were not significantly different between the 2 groups (P>0.05). In terms of drainage after operation and resection range, there were obvious differences between the 2 groups (P<0.05). The resection range and the amounts of drainage in the experimental group were less than those in the control group. More patients in the experimental group chose endoscopic thyroid surgery compared with those in the control group (P<0.05). The rate of surgical complications and re-admission was not different (P>0.05), but average days of hospitalization and average hospitalization cost were less in the experimental group (P<0.05). Patients were satisfied with ambulatory thyroid surgery (P<0.05).

Under certain criteria, ambulatory surgery for thyroid is a new operation method, which is safe, high-efficient, convenient, economy and time-efficient. It can decrease average days of hospitalization and average hospitalization cost obviously, and provide a reasonable choice for certain patients. The selection of endoscopic thyroid surgery was not conflict with selection of ambulatory thyroid surgery.