Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Total Elbow Arthroplasty in Outpatient Versus Inpatient Settings

Total joint arthroplasties, including total elbow arthroplasty (TEA), are growing in number and shifting toward a younger age group. These procedures are also moving more toward the outpatient setting compared to previous years. We are conducting this study to update and summarize the current knowledge about the outcomes of TEA in outpatient versus inpatient settings. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to compare TEA outcomes in outpatient versus inpatient settings. Electronic database searches were performed using PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar. Previous studies deemed eligible for this study focused on inpatient cohorts and outpatient cohorts or compared inpatient and outpatient cohorts receiving TEA. All data used was obtained from the studies that were included. Three studies were deemed eligible and included a total of 1,634 patients, with 1,048 being inpatient and 586 being outpatient. There was a significant increase in total (any) complication rate (log of odds ratio (lnOR): 1.02, 95% CI: 0.35 to 1.68), adverse discharge (lnOR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.22 to 1.92), and surgical site infection (lnOR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.05 to 1.71) in the inpatient setting compared to the outpatient setting. There was no significant difference between outpatient and inpatient settings in regard to readmissions (lnOR: 0.85, 95% CI: -0.95 to 2.66), urinary tract infections (UTI)/renal complications (lnOR: 0.04, 95% CI: -0.09 to 0.17), pneumonia/respiratory failure (lnOR: 0.61, 95% CI: -0.29 to 1.51), deep vein thrombosis (DVT)/pulmonary embolism (lnOR: 0.07, 95% CI: -1.31 to 1.44), sepsis (lnOR: 0.86, 95% CI: -0.50 to 2.21), and wound dehiscence (lnOR: 0.55, 95% CI: -0.58 to 1.68). Our results reveal that with careful patient selection, current surgical techniques, and pain control methods, TEA may be performed in the outpatient setting with less risk of complications and lower financial burden compared to inpatient TEA.