Abstract
Introduction
Total Hip Arthroplasty has been shown to have excellent long term outcomes, yet early reoperation remains a risk. The current study assesses the incidence, causes, and cost associated with early revision following elective primary THA in the US Medicare population.
Methods
The study used the Limited Data Set (LDS) from the Centers for Medicate and Medicaid Services (CMS) to identify all primary THA (DRG 469/470) performed in the US (excluding Maryland) during 2016. All cases were followed for one year after the original date of operation to create a database of readmissions after surgery. These data allowed for the determination of the 1-year incidence and type of reoperation, the timing of reoperation, the admitting diagnosis, hospital utilization, and total cost.
Results
There were 164,050 THA performed on Medicare patients in the US in 2016. After surgery, there were 24,728 associated readmissions during the 1-year follow-up, or a readmission rate of 15.1%. There were 5,646 readmissions with a procedure performed on the hip; this represents 23% of the total 1-year readmissions after surgery, or a reoperation rate of 3.4%. Admission for reoperation was the most common reason for readmission following elective primary THA. When looking at reoperations, fracture was the most common (41.69%). 45% of reoperations occur within the first 30 days, 74% of reoperations occur within the first 90 days, and 26% of reoperations occur between days 90 and 360. For reoperations, a primary diagnosis of infection was associated with the highest average total cost ($104,024).
Conclusions
Revision after THA is both a frequent occurance and expensive one. Fractures are the most common diagnoses that lead to revision, followed by dislocation. Increased focus to reduce complications such as fracture and dislocation would have the most beneficial impact on the patient, as well as on the healthcare system.
For any tables or figures, please contact the authors directly.
