Trends in Outpatient Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasties

Authors

Shuo Li, University of LynchburgFollow

Specialty

Orthopedic Surgery

Advisor

Elyse Watkins, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to review the change from inpatient total hip and knee arthroplasties to outpatient. The article also evaluates the approachability of these outpatient surgeries from a clinical standpoint in maintaining patient satisfaction and keeping a low health care cost.

Method: A PubMed literature search was conducted with search terms including outpatient total hip arthroplasty (THA), outpatient total knee arthroplasty (TKA), transition, indication, complication, and outcome, etc. Twelve pertinent articles were retrieved, and they serve as the basis for this clinical review.

Results: There are cohort studies and research data indicate that outpatient total hip and knee arthroplasties are great approaches to achieve patient satisfaction while reducing the health care cost.

Conclusion: There has been growing interest in the outpatient (same-day) total joint replacement surgeries over the past decades from both the patients and the surgeons due to the increasing demand and the limited health care spending.^1-5 In efforts to continue with high-quality patient care, patients need to be carefully screened and medically optimized to achieve the balance between the value and the quality. While aiming to reduce the cost, it is also important to develop protocols and to identify the obstacles associated with shifting the inpatient TKA and THA to an outpatient model. Therefore, further research is needed to evaluate its accessibility.

Keywords: outpatient total hip arthroplasty, outpatient total knee arthroplasty, transition, indication, complication, and outcome.

Recommended Citation

Li S. Trends in Outpatient Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasties. University of Lynchburg DMSc Doctoral Project Assignment Repository. 2021; 3(2).