Cardiovascular Disease in Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Analysis of Hospital Outcomes, Complications, and Mortality

Cardiovascular comorbidities have been identified as a significant risk factor for adverse outcomes following surgery. The purpose of this study was to investigate its prevalence and impact on postoperative outcomes, hospital metrics, and mortality in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Our hypothesis was that patients with cardiovascular comorbidities would have worse outcomes, greater postoperative complication rates, and increased mortality compared to patients without cardiovascular disease.

In this retrospective study, data from the National Inpatient Sample database from 2011 to 2020 were queried for patients who underwent TKA with preexisting cardiac comorbidities, including congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary artery disease (CAD), valvular dysfunction, and arrhythmia. Multivariate logistic regression analyses compared hospital metrics (length of stay, costs, and adverse discharge disposition), postoperative complications, and mortality rates while adjusting for demographic and clinical variables. All statistical analyses were performed using R studio 4.2.2 and Stata MP 17 and 18 with Python package.

A total of 385,585 patients were identified. Those with preexisting CHF, CAD, valvular dysfunction, or arrhythmias were found to be older and at higher risk of adverse outcomes, including prolonged length of stay, increased hospital charges, and increased mortality (p < 0.001). Additionally, all preexisting cardiac diagnoses led to an increased risk of postoperative myocardial infarction, acute kidney injury (AKI), and need for transfusion (p < 0.001). The presence of valvular dysfunction, arrhythmia, or CHF was associated with an increased risk of thromboembolic events (p < 0.001). The presence of CAD and valvular dysfunction was associated with an increased risk of urologic infection (p < 0.001).

This study demonstrated that CHF, CAD, valvular dysfunction, and arrhythmia are prevalent among TKA patients and associated with worse hospital metrics, higher risk of perioperative complications, and increased mortality. As our use of TKA rises, a lower threshold for preoperative cardiology referral in older individuals and early preoperative counseling/intervention in those with known cardiac disease may be necessary to reduce adverse outcomes.