Patient versus surgeon satisfaction after total hip arthroplasty

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Total hip arthroplasty (THA) aims to improve patient function and quality of life.
• Evaluating THA success typically involves objective measures and surgeon assessments, but patient perspectives are crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare patient satisfaction with surgeon satisfaction following THA.
• To identify factors influencing patient satisfaction and their correlation with objective and subjective outcomes.
• To assess the impact of patient dissatisfaction on THA survivorship.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 193 patients (200 THAs) were evaluated using visual analogue scale (VAS) for patient satisfaction, alongside objective and subjective scoring systems.
• Surgeon satisfaction was also recorded.
• Survival analysis was performed with different endpoints, including revision and patient dissatisfaction.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in satisfaction was found between patients and surgeons for the overall cohort.
• In cases of low patient satisfaction, surgeons reported higher satisfaction (p = 0.04).
• Pain during activity emerged as the primary driver of patient dissatisfaction, correlating strongly with VAS scores.
• Incorporating patient dissatisfaction (VAS > 20) as an endpoint reduced six-year survivorship from 96.6% to 83.7%.

Conclusions:

• Patient satisfaction, particularly regarding pain, is a vital component in assessing THA outcomes.
• The patient satisfaction VAS offers valuable insights beyond traditional scoring systems.
• A combined approach using both subjective patient-reported outcomes and objective measures is recommended for comprehensive THA evaluation.