Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 25, 2026
Treatment with Locking Intramedullary Nailing for Intertrochanteric Fracture of the Femur Utilizing a New Awl with a Distal Positioner
Published on: June 6, 2025
Do delays in surgery affect outcomes in patients with inter-trochanteric fractures?
Adil Aijaz Shah1, Santosh Kumar2, Amarah Shakoor3
1Trauma outcomes Research fellow, Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Objective:
To study the differences in outcomes of early versus delayed surgery in patients with intertrochanteric fractures.
Methods:
The retrospective chart review was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data of patients who underwent surgery for intertrochanteric hip fractures from 2005 to 2010. A gap of >48hours between the event and the surgery was considered a delayed procedure and its impact on outcome was assessed.
Results:
Of the 190 patients, 138(72.6%) were in the early group and 52(27.3%) in the delayed group. The most common cause for delay of surgery was electrolyte imbalance in 14(27%) patients. Patients with delayed surgery had more comorbidites and higher ASA grades compared to those that underwent early surgery (p<0.05). Inpatient mortality was significantly higher in the delayed group (p=0.006). Multivariate analysis showed that higher mortality was associated with delay in surgery.
Conclusions:
In patients with multiple comorbid conditions, expedited optimisation for surgery may be warranted to reduce mortality.
