EmpowHer Asks: Will a woman be able to go home after her thyroidectomy? David Terris, MD Surgical Director, MCG Thyroid Center Augusta, GA In many cases, yes, and, again, it depends on the practice of the surgeon. Certainly, if you only have half of your thyroid gland removed there are many surgeons now advocating outpatient surgery. In my practice we do outpatient surgery, even if we remove the entire gland, but there are regional differences and it depends on what your surgeon’s practice is.