Outpatient Shoulder Arthroplasty Patient Selection, Patient Experience, and Cost Analyses: A Systematic Review

The utilization of outpatient shoulder arthroplasty has been increasing. With increasing pressure to reduce costs, further underscored by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many health-care organizations will move toward outpatient interventions to conserve inpatient resources. Although abundant literature has shown the advantages of outpatient total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there is a relative paucity describing outpatient shoulder arthroplasty. Thus, the purpose of this study was to summarize the peer-reviewed literature of outpatient shoulder arthroplasty with particular attention to patient selection, patient outcomes, and cost benefits.

The PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Embase databases were queried according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. All articles on outpatient shoulder arthroplasty were included. Data on patient selection, patient outcomes, and cost analyses were recorded. Patient outcomes, including complications, reoperations, and readmissions, were analyzed by weighted average.

Twenty-three articles were included for analysis. There were 3 review articles and 20 studies with Level-III or IV evidence as assessed per The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery Level of Evidence criteria. Patient selection was most often predicated on age <70 years, body mass index (BMI) <35 kg/m2, absence of active cardiopulmonary comorbidities, and presence of home support. Complications and readmissions were not common and either improved or were equivalent to those of inpatient shoulder arthroplasty. Patient satisfaction was high in studies of short-term and intermediate-term follow-up. The proposed cost benefit ranged from $747 to $53,202 with outpatient shoulder arthroplasty.

The published literature to date supports outpatient shoulder arthroplasty as an effective, safe, and cost-reducing intervention with proper patient selection.

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.