The safety and efficacy of day-case total joint arthroplasty

The popularity of day-case arthroplasty has been fuelled by focus on its cost effectiveness for the healthcare system. Safety concerns still remain. The aim of this review was to compare readmission rates after total joint arthroplasty for patients undergoing day-case surgery and for inpatients.

A comprehensive online search of databases was performed for all published articles in the English language evaluating readmission rates after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Seventeen studies were deemed eligible and included in the meta-analysis.

All studies included in the meta-analysis described readmission rates following THA/TKA. The readmission rate for day-case patients was 1.9% (n=124) whereas for inpatients, it was 2.0% (n=12,399). Compared with inpatient arthroplasty, day-case arthroplasty was associated with lower total readmission rates (odds ratio [OR]: 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.63-0.94, p=0.01). Furthermore, day-case surgery conferred a decrease in readmission rates for both THA (1.3% vs 7.0%) and TKA (2.7% vs 4.3%). Moreover, day-case THA and TKA were both associated with a decreased chance of readmission (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.17-0.42, p<0.00001; and OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.42-0.72, p<0.00001 respectively).

This review emphasises that with a thoughtful, designated protocol and with careful patient selection, day-case arthroplasty is a safe and effective option.