Differences in Time to Return to Work Between Patients Undergoing Staged Versus Simultaneous Bilateral Total Hip...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Reconstructive Surgery
• Health Economics

Background:

• Patients with bilateral hip osteoarthritis often face treatment decisions between staged and simultaneous bilateral total hip arthroplasty (bTHA).
• Understanding the impact of these procedures on return to work is crucial for employed individuals.
• Previous research has not extensively compared work absence durations between staged and simultaneous bTHA approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the total workdays missed following staged versus simultaneous bilateral total hip arthroplasty (bTHA).
• To analyze the influence of surgical approach (postero-lateral vs. direct anterior) on return-to-work timelines.
• To provide data aiding surgeons in counseling employed patients with bilateral hip osteoarthritis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study including employed patients who underwent staged or simultaneous bTHA between 2016 and 2021.
• Patients with the same surgical approach for both hips were included.
• Primary outcome was the total number of workdays missed, assessed via a return-to-work questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Simultaneous bTHA patients missed an average of 25.6 workdays, significantly fewer than staged bTHA patients (36.9 days).
• Multivariate analysis, adjusted for multiple factors, indicated staged bTHA patients missed a mean of 8.2 more workdays.
• No significant difference in workdays missed was observed between postero-lateral and direct anterior approaches within each bTHA type.

Conclusions:

• Simultaneous bilateral total hip arthroplasty (bTHA) is associated with a shorter duration of work absence compared to staged bTHA.
• These findings support simultaneous bTHA as a potentially more efficient option for employed patients.
• Surgeons can utilize this information to better counsel patients regarding return-to-work expectations.