We report our prospective experience of short-stay hospitalisation for benign thyroid surgery. Post-operative outcome, complication rate and duration of hospitalisation were evaluated for 200 similar patients with bilateral multi-nodular goitres treated surgically by total thyroidectomy. All subjects gave written informed consent. A short-stay regimen, with discharge within 24 h of admission, was possible in 92.5 %. Fourteen (7 %) were discharged on the second post-operative day and one on the fourth post-operative day. Causes of the 15 delayed discharges beyond 24 h were 11 hypocalcaemia (5.5 %), 3 haematoma (1.5 %) and 1 dysphonia (0.5 %). All compressive haematoma were treated by urgent reoperation. No mortality occurred. None required tracheostomies. Transient complications were diagnosed in 36 cases: 25 with hypocalcaemia and 11 with recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries. Permanent complications were observed in three patients: two with hypoparathyroidism and one with nerve damage. All patients were carefully counselled about potential thyroid surgery complications and a 24-h emergency-contact number was provided. Short-stay hospitalisation represents safe and cost-saving surgical management for benign thyroid surgery.