Preoperative Patient Expectation of Discharge Planning is an Essential Component in Total Knee Arthroplasty

A better understanding of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) candidate expectations within the perioperative setting will enable clinicians to promote patient-centered practices, optimize recovery times, and enhance quality metrics. In the current study, TKA candidates were surveyed pre- and postoperatively to elucidate the relationship between patient expectations and length of stay (LOS).

This is a prospective study of patients undergoing TKA between December 2017 and August 2018. Patients were electronically administered surveys regarding their discharge plan 10 days pre-/postoperatively. All patients were categorized into three cohorts based on their LOS: 1, 2, and 3+ days. The effect of preoperative discharge education on patient postoperative satisfaction was evaluated.

In total, 221 TKAs were included, of which 83 were discharged on postoperative day (POD) 1, 96 on POD-2, and 42 POD-3+. Female gender, increasing body mass index (BMI), and surgical time correlated with increased LOS. Preoperative discussions regarding LOS occurred in 84.62% (187/221) of patients but did correlate with differences in LOS. However, patients discharged on POD-1 were more inclined to same-day surgery preoperatively. Patients discharged on POD-3+ were found to be more uncomfortable regarding their discharge during the preoperative phase. Multivariable regressions demonstrated that preoperative discharge discussion was positively correlated with home discharge.

Physician-driven discussion regarding patient discharge did not alter patient satisfaction or length of stay but did correlate with improved odds of home discharge. These findings underscore the importance of patient education, shared decision-making, and managing patient expectations.