Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty With Same-Day Discharge: Who Failed and Why

As the emphasis on value-based care within total joint arthroplasty increases, this procedure is becoming more prevalent in the outpatient setting. The goals of this study were to report on the authors' early experiences with same-day discharge and to identify patient characteristics that are associated with failure to discharge after total hip arthroplasty within this program. All patients who were enrolled in the same-day discharge total hip arthroplasty program at the study institution between January 2015 and July 2016 were included. Demographics, baseline characteristics, and clinical and quality outcomes were compared between patients who successfully completed this program and those who did not. Of the 163 study subjects, 143 (87.7%) were discharged successfully on the same day as surgery. Women, patients younger than 40 years, and patients older than 60 years all had an increased risk of failing the program. Body mass index of 26 kg/m² or less was associated with a 40% greater risk of failure. Patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists score of 3 had a 3-fold risk of failure compared with patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists score of 2 or less. The screening protocol for same-day discharge at the study institution had an 87.7% rate of successful same-day discharge. Further investigation is needed to identify patients who are at risk of failing the same-day discharge initiative. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(1):35-42.].