Study Concludes Discharge to Home after Knee Replacement is Best
For Immediate Release
Dallas, November 11, 2016 — The study, “Continued Inpatient Care after Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Increases 30-Day Post-Discharge Complications: A Propensity Score-Adjusted Analysis,” presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) analyzed total knee replacement data from 2011-2014. The study aimed to find how the discharge destination following surgery – home or an inpatient care facility – affected recovery.
Douglas E. Padgett, MD and co-authors Alexander S. McLawhorn, MD, MBA, Michael C. Fu, MD, William W. Schairer, MD, Peter K. Sculco, MD and Catherine H. MacLean, MD, PhD used data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program after controlling pre-discharge patient characteristics such as demographics, obesity, complications and others.
The study concluded that, “discharge to inpatient care versus home after primary TKA is associated with higher odds of numerous complications and unplanned readmission.” The authors suggest that care pathways for total knee arthroplasty patients should facilitate discharge to home whenever possible.
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About the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons:
Established in 1991, the mission of AAHKS is to advance hip and knee patient care through education and advocacy. AAHKS has a membership of over 3,700 surgeons and other hip and knee health care professionals.
Contact:
Denise Smith Rodd
drodd@aahks.org
