Observation for up to 24 h is recommended for the majority of patients undergoing bilateral thyroid surgery in an endemic goitre area. Same-day discharge is feasible in selected patients, especially after a unilateral procedure. Quality improvement by continuous outcome monitoring and retraining of individual surgeons is suggested.

Late-onset palsy of the RLN was diagnosed in a small subset of patients after thyroid surgery, and recovery of nerve function occurred less frequently than in patients with early-onset RLN palsy.