Purpose: Given the increasing costs of medical care, there has been a shift to outpatient elective surgeries in certain patient populations among all surgical specialties. The goal of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of outpatient parotidectomy with traditional inpatient parotidectomy.
Materials and methods: This is a retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent a parotidectomy at a single tertiary academic center from 2007 through 2017.
Results: There were 568 patients who met the inclusion criteria. There was no difference in demographics or patient comorbidities between the inpatient and outpatient groups. There was no increased incidence of postoperative complications or extent of postoperative care in patients who underwent outpatient parotidectomy. On average at the authors' institution, the direct outpatient parotidectomy cost was $1,200 less than the inpatient equivalent.
Conclusion: Outpatient parotidectomy can be performed safely and cost effectively with no increased risk of complications.
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