Study Suggests Bariatric Surgery Prior to Knee Replacement Lowers Risks
November 8, 2014
DALLAS — A study presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) on November 7, 2014 suggests that obese patients who undergo bariatric surgery prior to total knee replacement, will experience less complications following knee replacement surgery than obese patients who have not had bariatric surgery.
According to Brian C. Werner, MD of Charlottesville, Virginia, “The purpose of this study was to utilize a national database to evaluate the complication rates after total knee arthroplasty in patients who have had bariatric surgery.” Previous studies that tried to demonstrate a reduction in complication rates failed probably because of low patient numbers.
Dr. Werner and his co-authors of, “Does Bariatric Surgery Reduce Postoperative Complications Following Total Knee Arthroplasty?” evaluated data of 78,036 TKA patients in the PearlDiver, database. They concluded that obese patients are at significantly increased risk of post-surgical complications after having knee replacement surgery; however, those who underwent bariatric surgery, while still at a higher risk than non-obese patients, appear to have a lower risk of complications.
The 24th AAHKS Annual Meeting was attended by 1,800 hip and knee surgeons, allied health professionals and industry representatives who took part in scientific sessions and exhibits during the 4-day meeting.
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Established in 1991, the mission of AAHKS is to advance and improve hip and knee patient care through leadership in education, advocacy and research with a vision to be the essential organization of hip and knee specialists, functioning to serve the needs of patients, care providers and policy makers regarding hip and knee health.
Contact:
Denise Smith Rodd
847-698-1200
